For a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction

By Giorgio Ferrari.

Who knows whether the Doomsday Clock hands will move even closer to midnight after Israel has declared war on Iran. Whatever the case, one can be certain that Netanyahu, in launching his attack, took full advantage of the warlike climate that has taken root in Europe and of the resulting rearmament policies.

This attack introduces extremely dangerous new elements into the already terrible logic of war that cannot be underestimated or ignored.

First, the bombing of Iranian nuclear sites should be considered very similar to an actual nuclear attack, because in doing so, Israel knowingly risked the release of uranium stored at those facilities, which could contaminate the environment. This is especially alarming considering that much of this uranium is stored in the form of gas (UF6, uranium hexafluoride), which is not only radioactive but also toxic and reactive with water.

This is one of the main reasons why the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions prohibit the bombing of nuclear facilities—protocols that, notably, Israel and the United States have never ratified.

Secondly, the killing of six Iranian scientists, reported by the media with thinly masked satisfaction, marks yet another step in the descent into barbarism: From now on, it appears to be acceptable to kill scientists—especially if they are involved in civilian nuclear programs, but unless proven otherwise, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) itself, through its inspections, has verified that Iran’s program is strictly within the civilian domain. It is true that the IAEA has expressed doubts about this, but you don't kill people over a doubt.

This raises troubling questions about the role the IAEA has played in this affair. On June 12—just one day before the attack on Iran’s nuclear sites—the IAEA Board of Governors issued a report criticizing Iran for not being sufficiently cooperative in meeting inspectors' demands or providing certain information. The report even stated, in passing, that “until these issues are resolved, the agency will not be able to provide assurances that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.”

This triggered a misleading media narrative summarized in the phrase “Iran is one step away from building a bomb”—a claim that Israel then used to “justify” its bombings and killing. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, declared that Operation “Rising Lion” against Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure aimed to eliminate an existential and immediate threat to Israeli citizens and to the world.

What neither the media nor Israel mentions is that Iran's uranium enrichment level is currently at 60%, while building a bomb requires enrichment levels of at least 90%. Closing that gap is neither simple nor quick—it would take significantly more time than the progression to 60%.

Moreover, the controversial June 12 IAEA report was the result of political pressure exerted by representatives from France, the UK, the US, and Germany (the same countries that were informed in advance of the Israeli attack), and was passed despite opposition from Russia and China. Iran protested, even accusing the IAEA of colluding with Israel by providing information about its nuclear sites and scientific personnel.

The narrative now being pushed—which Israel previously used to justify bombing Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 and Syria’s Al-Kibar reactor in 2007—is that of a “preemptive strike” to neutralize a nuclear threat. Yet no one is holding Israel accountable for its own nuclear arsenal, or for the lies and deception it used—first with France’s help, then with the US’s complicity—to develop it and to wield it as a real threat to all neighboring countries.

Even more concerning, Israel—a country that has never signed the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) nor allowed IAEA inspections—is being allowed to attack a nation that has accepted and abided by those very rules.

However, this latest Middle East war ends, it is clear that the issue of weapons of mass destruction in the region—nuclear, chemical, and biological—must finally be addressed and resolved. The Western nations that routinely invoke Israel’s “right to self-defense” bear the greatest responsibility for this situation. By allowing Israel to secretly and unconditionally develop its nuclear program, they have created a “creature” which, even if it doesn’t turn against its creators like Mary Shelley’s monster, has become uncontrollable, arrogant, and hostile to any rule that might challenge the monopoly of force irresponsibly granted to it.

It is time to correct this mistake and to defuse the threat posed by Israel’s nuclear arsenal by turning the Middle East into a zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction.

Let us make this goal a banner for disarmament. Support and sign the petition calling on the Italian government to support the establishment of such a zone in the Middle East—as envisioned by the dedicated UN Conference—and to push other European countries to do the same.

* Giorgio Ferrari is an Italian nuclear physicist, a leading expert in nuclear energy, and an anti-nuclear activist since the Chernobyl disaster.

** Translated into English by Flavio Del Santo from the original article published on 15 June 2025.