MEDIA RELEASE: Israel-Iran conflict shows the deadly danger of nuclear brinkmanship — Australia must reject nuclear weapons

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Australia warns that the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran is a terrifying reminder of how close the world remains to nuclear disaster — and calls on the Australian Government to condemn illegal military attacks, reject nuclear deterrence, and join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

On 13 June, Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. This illegal attack has provoked a military response and escalation on both sides threatens to further unravel the already fragile nuclear non-proliferation framework. The use of force against nuclear facilities violates international law and risks radioactive contamination with long-term consequences for human health and the environment.

“The prospect of radiation release, the erosion of non-proliferation norms, and the emboldening of nuclear-armed states to act without accountability — this is the deadly logic of nuclear deterrence playing out in real time,” said Gem Romuld, Director of ICAN Australia. “We need urgent de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. Australia should press its allies, particularly the United States, to act responsibly and stop enabling this cycle of violence.”

Israel, the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, is widely believed to be modernising its arsenal. In 2024, it conducted a missile propulsion test potentially linked to its Jericho nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, and appears to be upgrading its Dimona plutonium production nuclear site. Israel remains outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and its nuclear weapons are a major source of instability in the Middle East. Iran, among the first to propose a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East, is a state party to the NPT but has now threatened to withdraw.

“Because it is nuclear-armed Israel acts with impunity — and because it is provided with funding, intelligence, weapons and support, including by the recent G7 statement expressing support for Israel’s ‘security’, its violations go unchecked,” said Assoc. Prof. Tilman Ruff AO, founding chair of ICAN Australia. “This sets a dangerous precedent. Israel’s aggression, its timing and murder of the lead Iranian negotiator suggests it wanted to kill diplomacy. All countries should condemn Israel’s illegal and hypocritical attack and call for an end to hostilities before the world faces even more catastrophic escalation.”

ICAN Australia stresses that treaties like the NPT and the TPNW are vital for global and regional peace. While the NPT is under enormous strain, the TPNW offers a new and necessary pathway toward delegitimisation of nuclear weapons and disarmament. Every state has a role to play in universalising these treaties and reinforcing international law.

Meanwhile, the nuclear threat is growing globally. According to newly released figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), all nine nuclear-armed states — including the US, Russia, China, and Israel — continued to expand and modernise their arsenals in 2024. Of the estimated 12,241 nuclear warheads globally, 9,614 remain in military stockpiles, and 3,912 are deployed on missiles and aircraft, with 2,100 kept on high operational alert.

Australia’s policy of relying on US nuclear weapons — so-called “extended nuclear deterrence” — ties us to these risks. It undermines our credibility as a proponent of disarmament and international law and makes us complicit in the threat of mass destruction.

“This is a global emergency,” said Romuld. “We need leadership — not loyalty to an existential threat. Australia should lead by example, reject nuclear weapons, and join the TPNW.”

In 2024, nuclear-armed states spent over US$100 billion on their arsenals — an 11% increase from the previous year. According to ICAN’s new report Hidden Costs: Nuclear Weapons Spending in 2024, private weapons contractors earned at least US$42.5 billion from nuclear weapons activities. Every dollar invested in weapons of mass destruction is a dollar stolen from climate action, health care, and public safety.

“Eighty years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this is the reality: rising spending, rising risks, and no accountability,” said Romuld. “Australia must help shift the tide. Now is the time to take a stand.”

ICAN Australia urges the Albanese Government to:

• Condemn Israel’s illegal strike and call for an immediate end to hostilities.
• Oppose any threat or use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances.
• Implement Labor’s national policy commitment to sign, then ratify the TPNW without delay.

“We must not be complicit partners in a system that normalises nuclear threats,” said Ruff. “Australia has a choice: double down on being part of the problem and the nuclear status quo — or help build a safer, disarmed world.”