Last week, readers of the Star and the Standard were treated to a familiar piece of Iranian propaganda — the same, unoriginal article from Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, claiming their nuclear programme is strictly for "peaceful purposes".
The lack of originality in his recycled op-ed mirrors the Islamic Republic’s lack of originality in its decades-long excuses for enriching uranium to military levels, building secret nuclear facilities, and amassing thousands of ballistics missiles capable of reaching Africa and Europe.
The truth is clear and deeply concerning: Iran’s nuclear programme is not peaceful. It is the world’s most dangerous, ideology-driven proliferation effort, threatening global security and stability.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran is in violation of its international obligations. As the IAEA stated, "Iran has failed to cooperate fully with the Agency," and has been "in non-compliance with its obligations under its safeguards agreement" since 2019.
On June 12, the IAEA Board of Governors declared that Iran has failed to fully cooperate with inspectors and has been in non-compliance with its safeguard’s agreements since 2019. Additionally, Iran has concealed nuclear material and activities at three undisclosed sites — hardly the behaviour of a nation pursuing "peaceful" energy. As the IAEA further warned, "The Agency is not able to verify that there has been no diversion of nuclear material."
Intelligence assessments reveal that Iran now possesses enough fissile material for as many as nine atomic bombs. The regime has simultaneously stockpiled an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 long-range missiles, which can easily strike African and European targets. These missiles are not defensive tools; they are part of Iran’s strategy to intimidate, destabilise, and project terror far beyond its borders.
The Iranian leadership’s intentions are no secret. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has repeatedly vowed to annihilate Israel. He infamously declared, "By Allah's favour and grace, nothing called the 'Zionist regime' will exist by 25 years from now." When a nation’s highest authority openly calls for the destruction of another UN member state, the global community cannot afford complacency.
For the Jewish people, Iran’s nuclear ambitions evoke painful historical memories. We know what it means to face existential threats. The Holocaust, in which six million Jews were systematically murdered, showed the devastating consequences of global inaction in the face of genocidal ideology.
The Jewish people cannot, and will not, ignore the threats of a regime that explicitly calls for our eradication while actively pursuing the weapons to achieve it. History has taught us this painful lesson: Adolf Hitler also began with rhetoric. By the time the world realised his words were not empty, it was too late to prevent the horrors of the Holocaust.
It is no wonder that Israel, facing an existential threat, acted decisively to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear weapons capability. This is not just an Israeli concern — it is a global imperative. The United States, recognising the danger to international peace, joined the military effort to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. All peace-loving countries, especially those that support the resolutions of international organisations, need to see the IAEA statement as a red line.
Iran’s threat extends beyond nuclear weapons. Its regime is synonymous with human rights violations and brutal oppression. In 2024 alone, Iran executed more than 900 people, making it one of the world’s leading executioners. Among the victims were protesters, women’s rights activists, and ethnic minorities — a stark reminder of the regime’s ruthless suppression of dissent.
Furthermore, wherever Iran is involved, instability follows. From Syria to Lebanon, from Yemen to Iraq, Iran’s fingerprints are evident in conflict, suffering, and chaos. Tehran’s support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen has emboldened their collaboration with al-Shabaab — the same extremist group responsible for deadly attacks in Kenya. Iran’s funding and arming of these groups deepens instability across Africa and threatens regional security.
Iran’s aggressive behaviour knows no borders. Its drones, now terrorising civilians in Ukraine, exemplify how the regime exports instability worldwide. The Islamic Republic’s deepening ties with extremist organisations, terror financing, and ballistic proliferation demand global resistance.
Kenya, with its history of confronting extremism and championing peace, understands the stakes. The world must reject Iran’s hollow narratives and hold the regime accountable for its actions. The international community cannot afford to be duped by recycled rhetoric while Iran enriches uranium, tests missiles, and undermines stability from Africa to Europe.
The time for moral clarity is now. Iran’s nuclear programme is not peaceful. Its ambitions endanger every nation that values security, dignity, and international law. We must confront this threat together — before it’s too late.
Ariel Arviv is Israel’s Deputy Ambassador to Kenya
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