Iranian envoy says increasing arsenals won't enhance global peace

Majid Nili, Iran's ambassador to Berlin, said on Friday that increasing military arsenals will not enhance global peace. His remarks were made in a post on X, alongside an interview published by German daily Der Tagesspiegel with Matthew George, the director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

In the post shared on the Iranian embassy's X page, Nili stated: "The rise in costs and the transfer of military equipment in recent years has once again shown that an arms-driven approach not only fails to bring lasting security but also exposes the world to a new cycle of instability and insecurity."

The envoy cited SIPRI figures showing that the volume of major arms transfers worldwide between 2021 and 2025 increased by 9.2 percent compared with the 2016–2020 period.

Nili further said: "Yet there is another point to consider: the recent acts of aggression by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran once again revealed a reality: lasting security cannot be built with bombs, nuclear arsenals, and military bases. Instead, history, culture, national cohesion, and, above all, morality and international law are the true pillars of peace and security."

According to Mehr News Agency, the remarks were made in the context of ongoing discussions about global arms trade and security. The interview with SIPRI's director likely addressed trends in military spending and transfers, which have been rising in recent years. Nili's comments reflect Iran's longstanding position that security should be based on diplomacy and international law rather than military buildup.