Iran and the rising threats of a global nuclear arms race | DW News Desk

Israel and the US claim to have 'obliterated' Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon, but many experts believe Tehran's nuclear program is still far from over. What signal do the attacks on Iran send to other aspiring nuclear powers? Will the international rules for non-proliferation prevail, or are we headed for a global race to build nuclear bombs? There are nine nuclear-armed states in the world and nearly all of them continued with intensive nuclear modernization programs in 2024, upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions. That is one of the key findings of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) Yearbook 2025, an annual assessment of the state of armaments, disarmament and international security. In the mid-1980s, nuclear warheads, bombs and shells worldwide numbered around 64,000. Today, the figure stands at an estimated 12,241. That trend now looks set to be reversed. DW News Desk will do a 'nuclear check' around the globe — starting with Iran and the Middle East, but also covering East Asia and Europe.

This week’s panel:

Melissa Chan

Alex Forrest Whiting

Dustin Hemmerlein

Guests:

William Alberque, arms control expert, Pacific Forum

Sheena Chestnut Greitens, international security analyst, University of Texas

Chapters:

#nuclearweapons #Iran #NewsDesk

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