SAEDNEWS: On Tuesday, the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing, residents of Hiroshima laid flowers at the Cenotaph in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the attack.
According to SAEDNEWS, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning about the "real and present danger" posed by nuclear weapons, coinciding with Japan's observance of the 79th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a catastrophic event that resulted in the deaths of nearly 140,000 people. Notably, Washington has never issued an official apology for this act.
In a message released on Tuesday, Guterres stated, “Nuclear weapons, and the threat of their use, are not confined to history books. They have resurfaced in the daily rhetoric of international relations.” He emphasized that these weapons continue to pose a significant danger today.
On August 6, 1945, during World War II, an American bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, leading to the deaths of approximately 140,000 people. A mere three days later, another atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, resulting in an estimated 74,000 casualties. Despite the immense suffering caused, the U.S. has refrained from offering a formal apology, opting instead to express sorrow for the destruction without acknowledging the moral implications of its actions. The U.S. continues to defend the bombings as necessary to end the war and save lives, a justification that many historians contest as unjustified.
Guterres remarked that the lessons learned from Hiroshima, which once guided global efforts toward disarmament and peace, have been largely overlooked. He highlighted the necessity of understanding that the use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences and asserted that the only way to address the threats posed by these weapons is to eliminate them entirely.
The Secretary-General pointed out that while some nations seem to be recklessly brandishing their nuclear capabilities, the UN is striving to keep the lessons of 1945 alive. “The lesson that the use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. The lesson that a nuclear war cannot be won — and must never be fought. And the lesson that we need disarmament now,” he stressed.
Guterres urged the global community to unite in condemning "this unacceptable behavior" and to seek new pathways for effective disarmament. He concluded with a powerful reminder: “We will never forget the lessons of August 6, 1945. No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis.”
