Referring to the use of cluster bombs by Ukraine in the war as rejected and abhorrent in international law, Hasan Beheshtipoor told the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations that although the United States has not accepted international treaties regarding the prohibition of the use of cluster weapons from the beginning, by providing these bombs, it has ignored several international treaties. This country also used several tons of these bombs in the Vietnam War.

He stated that these bombs after being released, turn into hundreds of smaller incendiary bombs, and mainly civilian centers and people, children, women, and the elderly are the victims because there is no control over their explosion area. He said that in addition to explosions, bombs also cause fire, and several isolated small bombs, due to their design, do not explode simultaneously and practically become a permanent deadly danger in that environment. Any construction and use of them and the consequences they cause are inhumane and criminal.

This analyst of international issues pointed to the reaction of the UN spokesperson that the use of cluster bombs is a thing of the past and must be stopped and added that Ukraine justifies the use of this weapon against the aggressor country. Still, this weapon cannot be controlled as it damages civilian centers and people. On the other hand, this action gives Russia an excuse to use more destructive weapons in return. As the Russian officials threatened, Russia will use similar weapons in return if Ukraine uses these weapons.

Emphasizing that this action incites violence and inhumane dimensions of the war, Beheshtipoor continued that the US, which provided these weapons to Ukraine, initiated this crime and has direct responsibility. Therefore, conditions are set to file an international complaint against the US in international courts.

This expert on international issues reminded that in 2009, the United States banned the export of those cluster bombs whose ammunition rate is more than 1%; This ban includes a large part of the cluster bombs in the country’s arsenal, but last week, American lawmakers, in the name of Biden, said that we produced these munitions in the Cold War to counter the quantitative and qualitative advantages of the Soviet Union. Now it is possible to achieve this goal in the war in Ukraine and use them favorably! This is while some of these legislators are also members of the “Helsinki Disarmament Conference”!

While referring to Biden’s statements about being forced to use cluster bombs because their arsenals were empty, he said this is an excuse worse than a sin and cannot be rationally justified. With the claim that the stockpiles of conventional weapons have been emptied, which is unclear to what extent it is true, the use of unconventional, destructive, and highly inhumane weapons cannot be justified and defended. The use of this weapon and the killing of a journalist, which made the story even more tragic, brought the terrible dimensions of Ukraine’s war to the world’s attention again.

Emphasizing that the efforts to stop the war in Ukraine should be increased, this university professor added that international organizations and peace-loving countries should show a more serious will to prevent the war’s spread and stop it as soon as possible. Every day this war ends more shortly; it is in the interest of the people of Russia and Ukraine. The winner of this war will not be these two sides, and it is the United States that sought to create as much separation as possible between Russia and Ukraine, which had a very close relationship for 12 centuries.

Beheshtipoor, while explaining the causes of America’s efforts to increase hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv to confront Russia seriously, stated that the result would be the weakening of Russia and Ukraine, the increase of Kyiv’s dependence on the West and Moscow’s vulnerability, and the United States will continue to use this strategy in the war. At the same time, this country has shown that it seeks to disintegrate Russia in the long term. Therefore, the logical solution is to end this war as soon as possible.

Regarding the statements of the Spanish Defense Minister, who said that even legitimate defense could not justify the use of cluster bombs and that this country would not give such weapons to Ukraine under any circumstances, he stated that the truth of Biden’s claim about the end of America’s weapons reserves is not believable. These statements were a cover so that the US could justify its decision to carry out this inhumane and criminal action in the eyes of public opinion, which, of course, is not and will not be justified. It is a big shame for the US and Ukraine to declare they have started sending and using these weapons.

Emphasizing the role of international forums in condemning this action and seriously preventing its use, this international affairs expert said that cluster bombs are not weapons that can change the equations of war at once militarily. Although the destructive power of these weapons is high and may cause severe damage to Russian forces in war zones, with Russia’s reciprocity in the use of other similar weapons, the dimensions of the war will be more comprehensive, and the situation of confrontations in the war will become more complicated and dangerous; Because Russia’s hands are not closed and will reciprocate.

Referring to Ukraine’s attacks on the Russian border village and the use of cluster bombs in these attacks, he emphasized that a cluster bomb will not destroy the Russian fortifications. These weapons have their effect on the military field and villages and cities. With this action of the US, Ukraine will practically become a new Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, or Iraq. A country where, as a result of cluster munition explosions, thousands of civilians will die in the coming years and even after the end of the war in Ukraine.