Suzuki-Sensei, in an interview and in response to the question, "Why did this situation occur?"—referring to the unprovoked and illegal military aggression against Iran—said: "It is Iran that has ignored int. criticism and continued its nuclear development," adding that "for Israel, having a country like that possess nuclear weapons is unacceptable. It is also a serious threat to the U.S."
With all due respect, this perspective fails if Sensei ignores six facts:
First, NPT members are entitled to a peaceful nuclear program. The IAEA is mandated to ensure non-diversion. Japan exercises this.
Second, the IAEA is the sole authority for verifying non-diversion. No individual nation or external organization has a second mandate. The IAEA has repeatedly confirmed that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons. Period.
Third, the 2015 JCPOA was a multilateral agreement endorsed by UNSC Res. 2231, to which the U.S. and Iran were parties. It balanced a cap on Iran's peaceful program in exchange for the removal of sanctions. 15 IAEA reports confirmed Iran’s full compliance before the U.S. unilaterally/illegally withdrew to impose max. sanctions.
Fourth, in June 2025 and Feb. 2026, Iran was negotiating with the U.S. on a sort of JCPOA. In both instances, the U.S. bombed active negotiations.
Fifth, the NPT entitlement is undeniable. Furthermore, a non-NPT and IAEA entity having hundreds of nuclear warheads, acting recklessly in the region, is not a legitimate reference point to criticize Iran’s peaceful program—a faithful to the NPT and the IAEA.
Sixth, the reference to historical experiences does not hold. Japan’s own peaceful nuclear program did not become peaceful due to attacks by belligerent U.S. administrations.
