Commentary: From Hiroshima to Iran, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Matters More Than Ever

The conflict between the United States and Iran has drawn attention to navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but Japan’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates argues that Iran’s nuclear weapons issue presents a wider danger. North Korea’s continuing nuclear and missile development adds another grave challenge, the ambassador writes.

The international effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons is weakening as conflicts intensify and governments struggle to reach agreement. The Review Conference of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, held this spring and the first such meeting in nearly four years, brought together nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states. It nevertheless failed to adopt a final document by consensus.

The ambassador compares the erosion of the system to a small tear that gradually widens. As national positions diverge and confrontations deepen, the non-proliferation regime could lose more of its effectiveness. The commentary urges every country to treat the issue as its own responsibility and take the necessary action.

Japan, the ambassador says, has pursued diplomacy with the countries involved to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. “It is our sincere hope that further negotiations between US and Iran will lead to an agreement on the nuclear issue as soon as possible,” the article says.

The commentary also turns to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Atomic bombs killed an estimated 210,000 people in the two cities by the end of 1945, while many others continued to suffer radiation effects. Japan’s annual memorial ceremonies preserve the memory of the bombings and renew the determination not to repeat the tragedy. As the Hibakusha grow older, passing their experiences to future generations has become an urgent challenge.

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It is our sincere hope that further negotiations between US and Iran will lead to an agreement on the nuclear issue as soon as possible.