The Nuclear Arms Race and the Ambitions of Iran and South Korea

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has warned about the increasing potential of nuclear weapons globally. It emphasizes that almost 90% of the world’s nuclear stockpile is possessed by Russia and the United States. In the past year, nine nuclear-armed states, including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel, have increased their reliance on nuclear weapons and their spending on modernizing their nuclear arsenals. Some of these states have deployed new weapons systems equipped with nuclear weapons or capable of delivering them. As of January 2024, there were 12,121 nuclear warheads worldwide. Meanwhile, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), total spending on nuclear arsenals increased by $10.7 billion to reach $91.4 billion in 2023. The largest spenders were the US (over $51 billion), China (almost $12 billion), and Russia ($8 billion).

In view of Russia’s alliance with North Korea, there is a growing inclination among South Koreans to establish an independent nuclear capability. About 66% of the country’s population believes that South Korea must develop and deploy its own nuclear weapons to serve as a deterrent to potential conflict, particularly in light of doubts about the US’s commitment to South Korea’s security.

Despite controls and numerous attempts to restrain it, Iran continues to develop one of the most advanced nuclear programs in the world. It is reportedly seeking to obtain uranium from Niger and acquire mining licenses there. Niger has just revoked the operating license of French nuclear fuel producer Orano at its Imouraren mine in the north of the country.