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Nuclear-Armed Countries Are Flexing Their Muscles: What Are the Actual Risks?
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Nuclear-Armed Countries Are Flexing Their Muscles: What Are the Actual Risks?

In the past year, nuclear weapons have been at the center of major global conflicts. What might the coming years look like?
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The United States carried out airstrikes last month against three sites in Iran tied to its nuclear program. The attacks were the culmination of years of belligerence that began when Trump violated the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and embarked on a strategy of confrontation with Iran, at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

While the level of damage done to the sites remains unclear, the Iranian government has responded to the attacks by ceasing cooperation with international monitoring agencies. Iran is also hinting it retains the capacity to develop a nuclear weapon if it chooses.

The standoff with Iran is just one aspect of a larger story of the reemergence of nuclear weapons and possible nuclear warfare as a major risk in the 21st century.

The U.S. and Russia are currently in the process of building up to a new nuclear arms race, while, at present, China has the fastest growing nuclear arsenal of any country . Recently, the India and Pakistan conflict made many nervous that one of the countries would use nuclear weapons.

After years of relative stability, the size of the nuclear club also looks very likely to grow with new nations potentially carrying out nuclear tests in the years ahead. These changes mean that the risk of a nuclear war is growing after the end of the Cold War rather than decreasing.

Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Ankit Panda. Panda is the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the author of the new book “The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon.”

Listen above or on the Drop Site News channel on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Discussion about this episode

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Margaret Lucas's avatar

It appears the increase in nuclear armaments globally is a direct result of the US and its western allies propensity to invade and subjugate other countries.Instead of being prepared to negotiate and arrive at a peaceful outcome it appears the western elite are determined to continue along this destructive path which this in turn results in Russia ,China and other countries not walking away from stopping nuclear proliferation .Ankit appears to have rose coloured glasses on in regard to the known historical US activities targeting civilians. Do appreciate the content of the podcast and the need for balance in discussions like this.The world needs the US and its allies to stop interfering and dictating to other countries and start being the peaceful negotiator with proper diplomacy and lead by example. This latter option is unfortunately off the table given the lack of true leadership .China does not have a conflict history like that of the US to date.

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Elizabeth blakley's avatar

What a wonderful guest! He explained things so clearly. I really appreciate it! Please have him on again 😊

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