Exclusive: Iranian Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi Calls for Israel-Iran Ceasefire
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has long fought for freedom and human rights, even at the expense of her own. With her country now at war with Israel, Mohammadi called on her fellow activists to band together and call for a ceasefire.
In an exclusive message to TIME from Iran, Mohammadi said that the outbreak of war, which began in the early morning of June 13, has forced millions of Iranians to leave their homes and caused damages to 'critical national infrastructure,' compounding an economic crisis its citizens already bore the brunt of. Mohammadi herself has left Tehran.
'The scale of destruction already resembles that of a months-long conflict,' Mohammadi writes.
Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for her women's rights advocacy in Iran. She is known for helping imprisoned activists, leading a campaign against the death penalty, and openly criticizing the Iranian regime's use of torture and sexualized violence.
She has been arrested several times for her work, and sentenced to more than 36 years. Mohammadi was in prison when she became the Nobel Prize recipient in 2023, but she was furloughed in December 2024 for medical reasons.
Mohammadi called on other Nobel laureates 'to use all your individual, collective, and institutional capacities to amplify the call of 'No to War' and support our urgent plea for a ceasefire and an end to this war.'
Earlier, Mohammadi told the BBC that she could possibly return to prison for speaking publicly against the war, but she said she's ' not worried.' Mohammadi, alongside fellow Nobel laureate Shirin Ehbadi and other prominent Iranian voices, wrote an op-ed earlier this week demanding a halt to Iran's uranium enrichment program and an end to the attacks.
Israel launched an attack on Iran saying it intends to stop the country from achieving the capability of producing a nuclear weapon. Hundreds are believed to have been killed in the strikes on Iran, which has retaliated by firing missiles into Israel, killing at least 24.
Read Mohammadi's full statement below.
To the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, Human Rights Orgs, people of the world peace lovers,
I urge you to take action to stop the war between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Six days have passed since the beginning of this horrific war. The violence is accelerating at a devastating pace, and the scale of destruction already resembles that of a months-long conflict.
The growing fear that Israel may attack the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities adds terrifying uncertainty to the war. Millions of Iranian citizens have fled their homes. Amid crushing economic hardship and soaring inflation, they are unable to afford basic daily expenses and have sought refuge in other cities.
The targeting of critical national infrastructure, the rising number of casualties, and the threat to evacuate the capital, Tehran, are deeply alarming.
I call on you—Nobel Peace Prize laureates—to use all your individual, collective, and institutional capacities to amplify the call of 'No to War' and support our urgent plea for a ceasefire and an end to this war.
Let us rise together to form a united, global front for the right to peace. The scope of war expands by the day. Its fire will not remain confined to the lands directly involved—it will cross borders and engulf the entire world.
War casts a dark shadow over humanity's future—a darkness that cannot easily be erased from the eyes of humankind.
Let us stand together—loudly, clearly—for peace and for an end to war.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
29 minutes ago
- CNN
Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, praising ‘stellar statemanship'
Pakistan has formally recommended US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his 'decisive diplomatic intervention' following a spike in violence between India and Pakistan earlier this year. The government praised Trump for leveraging his 'pivotal leadership' in May, when several days of cross-border strikes marked the worst regional fighting between the two nuclear-armed nations since 1971, killing dozens and stoking fears of a wider war. Islamabad and New Delhi agreed to a US-brokered truce on May 8, as one final burst of strikes ripped through parts of the long-disputed Kashmir region – to which both countries claim full sovereignty. 'At a moment of heightened regional turbulence, President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi,' Pakistan's government said in a statement on Saturday. The US president helped in 'averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond' the statement added. 'This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue.' Indian and Pakistani officials gave contradictory accounts of how the agreement on a truce was reached at the time. While Islamabad lauded the involvement of the White House, New Delhi downplayed it – keen to relay the ceasefire as a victory and saying the neighbors 'directly' collaborated on the truce. Governments, other institutions and certain individuals can nominate any living person or active organization for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winner is decided each year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Trump has long sought to present himself as a global peacemaker. Before his second term in office, the Republican leader ferociously criticized his predecessor President Joe Biden's failed attempts to negotiate an end to Israel's brutal campaign against Hamas in Gaza, and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now, a new war is brewing in the Middle East after Israel unleashed mass strikes on Iran on June 13, prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran – a week-long conflict that has already inflicted a bitter human cost. More than 400 people have been killed in Iran, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported on Saturday, citing Iran's health ministry. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed, according to the Israeli government. Israel says the attacks are targeting nuclear sites and high-ranking military officers, several of whom have been killed. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks deep into northern and southern Israel. Earlier this week, Trump set out a self-imposed two-week timeline for a decision on US military involvement in Iran. After meeting with a top EU official and foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, Iran's foreign minister said his country would not re-enter negotiations with the US while it remains under attack from Israel. Just on Friday, Trump sought to stress his diplomatic successes in the Middle East and beyond, while suggesting he would not gain recognition for them. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan,' he posted on his Truth Social platform. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be.'
CNN
30 minutes ago
- CNN
Pakistan nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize, praising ‘stellar statemanship'
Pakistan has formally recommended US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his 'decisive diplomatic intervention' following a spike in violence between India and Pakistan earlier this year. The government praised Trump for leveraging his 'pivotal leadership' in May, when several days of cross-border strikes marked the worst regional fighting between the two nuclear-armed nations since 1971, killing dozens and stoking fears of a wider war. Islamabad and New Delhi agreed to a US-brokered truce on May 8, as one final burst of strikes ripped through parts of the long-disputed Kashmir region – to which both countries claim full sovereignty. 'At a moment of heightened regional turbulence, President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi,' Pakistan's government said in a statement on Saturday. The US president helped in 'averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond' the statement added. 'This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue.' Indian and Pakistani officials gave contradictory accounts of how the agreement on a truce was reached at the time. While Islamabad lauded the involvement of the White House, New Delhi downplayed it – keen to relay the ceasefire as a victory and saying the neighbors 'directly' collaborated on the truce. Governments, other institutions and certain individuals can nominate any living person or active organization for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winner is decided each year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Trump has long sought to present himself as a global peacemaker. Before his second term in office, the Republican leader ferociously criticized his predecessor President Joe Biden's failed attempts to negotiate an end to Israel's brutal campaign against Hamas in Gaza, and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Now, a new war is brewing in the Middle East after Israel unleashed mass strikes on Iran on June 13, prompting retaliatory attacks from Tehran – a week-long conflict that has already inflicted a bitter human cost. More than 400 people have been killed in Iran, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB reported on Saturday, citing Iran's health ministry. In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed, according to the Israeli government. Israel says the attacks are targeting nuclear sites and high-ranking military officers, several of whom have been killed. Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile attacks deep into northern and southern Israel. Earlier this week, Trump set out a self-imposed two-week timeline for a decision on US military involvement in Iran. After meeting with a top EU official and foreign ministers from Britain, France and Germany in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, Iran's foreign minister said his country would not re-enter negotiations with the US while it remains under attack from Israel. Just on Friday, Trump sought to stress his diplomatic successes in the Middle East and beyond, while suggesting he would not gain recognition for them. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan,' he posted on his Truth Social platform. 'I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be.'
Boston Globe
36 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
US moves B-2 bombers as Trump considers Iran strike
Iran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles and launched drones into Israeli territory on the ninth day of the conflict, which began with a surprise Israeli attack. International calls for de-escalation and a European diplomatic push have had little consequence on the air war raging between Israel and Iran, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi warning on Saturday that U.S. involvement in the Israeli attack would be 'extremely dangerous for everyone.' Aragchi said the 'aggression must stop' before it would begin negotiating. Advertisement Emergency workers were at the site of an Iranian missile attack in Haifa, Israel, on Friday. DANIEL BEREHULAK/NYT The Israeli military's chief of staff has warned the Israeli public to prepare for a 'prolonged campaign' against Iran. Iran has said repeatedly that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. But Israel regards Iran's potential for developing a nuclear weapon as a threat to its survival. Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, said the bombing campaign had pushed Iran two or three years back from the capability to make a nuclear weapon. But Israel has yet to take on some of the most significant nuclear sites, such as Fordo, which is hidden too deep underground for Israeli planes to destroy it from the air. Advertisement The region has been waiting to see whether Trump decides to join the fight. Israel hopes Trump will deploy American bombers to attack Fordo, a move that risks Iranian retaliation against U.S. forces stationed in the region. For now, Israelis and Iranians are experiencing terrifying days of bombardment that have upended daily life. Early Saturday, Iran fired missiles toward Israel, setting off air-raid sirens throughout the country's densely populated heartland. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it had launched a wave of airstrikes Saturday against Iranian missile sites, as well as a nuclear site near the city of Isfahan. The casualty toll was not immediately clear. The Iranian health ministry said more than 400 Iranians, most of them civilians, had been killed in the conflict so far. The Israeli government says at least 24 people have been killed there. A woman injured in an Israeli strike was in a bed at the Rasoul Akram hospital in Tehran on Saturday. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images Here is what else to know: -- Commanders killed: Israel's military said it killed Mohammed Said Izadi, Behnam Shahriyari and Amanpour Joudaki, commanders from the Revolutionary Guard. Izadi and Shahriyari were both senior official in the Quds Force, which oversees and supports proxy militias around the Middle East, according to Israel's defense ministry. Joudaki, it said, coordinated drone launches from southwestern Iran toward Israel. The deaths were not immediately confirmed by Iran. -- Geneva meeting: Talks between representatives of Iran and Europe ended on Friday with no signs of a breakthrough. The European effort aims to offer a diplomatic off-ramp for Iran to forestall a decision by Trump to join the war. Advertisement -- Street protests: Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon after midday prayers Friday to vent their anger over the Israeli attacks. In Tehran, the Iranian capital, people trampled or burned American and Israeli flags, video from the scenes showed. This article originally appeared in
