A dangerous increase in ready-to-use nuclear weapons worldwide
A recent report by international non-governmental organizations has revealed a highly dangerous global development: a significant increase in the number of nuclear weapons ready for use over the past year. This alarming development comes at a time when the world is witnessing an unprecedented escalation in armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions that threaten international stability.
The Roots of Arms Control: From the Cold War to Contemporary Tensions
To understand the broader context of this event, one must look back to the Cold War era, which witnessed a frantic nuclear arms race among the superpowers. During that period, nuclear arsenals reached their peak before concerted international efforts began to reduce them through nuclear non-proliferation treaties and strategic arms reduction agreements. However, the current landscape reflects a worrying regression from those historical gains. Nine countries currently possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea.
According to the “Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Monitor” report issued by the Norwegian People’s Aid in cooperation with the Federation of American Scientists, the total number of nuclear warheads possessed by these countries at the beginning of this year was 12,187. Although this represents a slight decrease of 144 warheads compared to last year, the real danger lies in the high number of warheads ready for immediate use, which reached approximately 9,745. To put this into perspective, the combined destructive power of these weapons is more than 135,000 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, which killed 140,000 people.
The impact of the proliferation of ready-made nuclear weapons on regional and international security
The proliferation of ready-to-use nuclear weapons is not merely a matter of statistics; it carries potentially catastrophic consequences on all levels. Regionally and internationally, this development exacerbates uncertainty in conflict zones, whether in Eastern Europe, the Pacific and Asia, or the Middle East. The presence of these weapons on high alert increases the likelihood of miscalculation or accidental use, which could ignite a devastating war.
The report indicates that 40% of available warheads (approximately 4,012) are deployed on ballistic missiles on fixed and mobile platforms, submarines, and bombers—an increase of 108 warheads from the previous year. In this context, Hans Kristensen, director of the Federation of American Scientists and a contributor to the report, stated that this continued annual increase raises the risk of rapid escalation.
The erosion of disarmament treaties and the future of global security
These warnings coincide with a marked erosion of the long-established arms control and disarmament system. Perhaps the most prominent manifestation of this erosion is the suspension or expiration of key treaties such as the New START treaty between Washington and Moscow, the two powers that possess the largest share of the world's arsenal.
Despite 99 countries joining the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, nuclear-weapon states continue to disregard it and even invest heavily in modernizing and expanding their arsenals. These policies are supported by 33 countries that benefit from the “nuclear umbrella” of their allies. Melissa Park, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, asserted that the belief that nuclear weapons provide security is a dangerous illusion, emphasizing in her statement that this situation “makes the world more dangerous for all of us.”.
