The Next Stage of Proliferation
Michaela Dodge /
Since the end of the Cold War, the United States and Russia have dismantled over 75 percent of their nuclear weapons. Yet the spread of nuclear weapons has continued apace. The latest issue of the Journal of International Security Affairs provides insight into the question of the next stage of proliferation.
As Heritage’s senior analyst Peter Brookes writes in the journal, Iran is one of the hottest candidates for obtaining nuclear weapons capability. The ayatollah regime in Tehran appears determined to continue with uranium enrichment, an essential step for developing nuclear weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied the International Atomic Energy Agency access to facilities suspected of working on the nuclear weapons program. According to the Air Force’s estimate, Iran will have a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory by 2015. A nuclear-armed Iran would be a game-changer in the region because other countries are likely to follow suit. (more…)