Brazilian president slams war on Iran, criticises UN Security Council

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has condemned the war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, describing it as “madness”.

Speaking at the opening of the Hannover Industrial Fair in Germany, Lula delivered a speech in which he sharply criticised global military spending and the inability of the UN Security Council to act.

He said it was unacceptable in the 21st century that crises such as hunger, illiteracy and lack of electricity continue to affect billions of people, while 2.7 trillion dollars are spent on wars.

Lula called for modern technology to be used not for warfare, but “for a more sustainable and safer world”.

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He added: “We are living through a critical moment in global geopolitics marked by major contradictions; while astronauts travel to the moon, women and children are being killed indiscriminately in bombing operations in the Middle East.”

The Brazilian president also criticised the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, saying the body was originally created to maintain peace and prevent a repeat of the tragedies of the Second World War.

He noted that the world is now witnessing the highest number of conflicts since 1945, while major powers remain largely on the sidelines.

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