Iran Warns US Space Ambitions Could Fuel New Arms Race

Aug 21, 2026 at 11:42 AM

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Lanka Leader

Iran has warned that US efforts to establish military and strategic dominance in outer space are increasing the risk of a new arms race and could turn space into a potential theatre of military confrontation.

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador Ali Bahraini, issued the warning while addressing the Conference on Disarmament on Thursday.

Bahraini said Washington’s drive for dominance in space undermines international efforts to ensure that outer space remains exclusively dedicated to peaceful purposes. He warned that such policies could accelerate the militarization and weaponization of space.

The Iranian envoy specifically pointed to the development of offensive space capabilities by the United States, including the establishment of dedicated space forces and the designation of outer space as a potential new battlefield.

According to Bahraini, such unilateral moves could encourage other countries to develop countermeasures, triggering a dangerous cycle of competition in space-based weaponry and further destabilizing the international security environment.

He also called on the international community to condemn what he described as deliberate attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran’s civilian and scientific space-related infrastructure.

Such actions, he said, violate international law and undermine the legitimate right of all states to pursue peaceful exploration and use of outer space.

Bahraini further stressed that commercial satellite systems, including those providing internet services, should not be used as a cover for hostile activities or military support in aggressive operations against other countries.

The Iranian representative called on the international community to begin negotiations without delay through the Conference on Disarmament, which he described as the sole multilateral negotiating forum on the issue.

He said the negotiations should seek to produce a comprehensive, non-discriminatory and legally binding international treaty aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space and ensuring that space remains a domain for peaceful purposes.