Weapons as Security
Weapons as Security: The world is becoming more dangerous and unpredictable. Moreover, powerful countries and regional powers use force to get their way. They often attack weaker states. Some even call these attacks pre-emptive wars. For example, Israel’s actions in Gaza, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and Qatar; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; the US strikes on Iran; and India’s attack on Pakistan.
Rising Nuclear Threats
As a result, many countries now consider nuclear weapons. Iran and Ukraine faced attacks by nuclear-armed states. Iran, an NPT member, was attacked by two nuclear powers. Therefore, these threats make countries feel they need nuclear weapons to protect themselves.
According to the 2025 SIPRI report, more countries may try to build or host nuclear weapons. Nuclear powers are upgrading their arsenals. Meanwhile, global arms control efforts have stalled. Recently, US President Donald Trump announced that the US will resume nuclear testing. He acted partly in response to Russia testing a nuclear-powered missile. This, however, could weaken global nuclear safety agreements. The US even voted against the UN resolution supporting a global nuclear test ban.
Fear Drives Weapons
Serhii Plokhy’s book The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival explains why countries build nuclear weapons. It reviews history and shows how fear and security drive nations to go nuclear. Since the US first used the bomb, the nuclear arms race has rarely stopped. Some countries paused in the late 1980s and early 1990s after disarmament agreements, but testing resumed later.
Rising Global Danger
India and Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998. Israel acquired nuclear weapons in the late 1960s with help from France and Britain. North Korea joined the nuclear club in 2006. Iran continues its nuclear program. Meanwhile, nuclear powers upgrade their weapons, and no arms control exists. Therefore, Plokhy warns this makes the world very dangerous, perhaps the most dangerous since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear sites and threats by Russia, as well as Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, increase the risk.
Plokhy argues that fear drives countries to get nuclear weapons. Nations fear attacks by others or stronger conventional forces. Fear can produce rational or irrational decisions. In the past, fear sometimes led to arms control agreements. However, today, an unregulated nuclear world could make fear more dangerous. Plokhy advises that countries must manage fear to avoid nuclear brinkmanship and blackmail.
Pakistan’s Security Drive
In South Asia, Pakistan built nuclear weapons mainly for security. Specifically, two events influenced this: India’s 1971 military action and India’s 1974 nuclear test. Pakistan felt it could only rely on itself. Feroze Khan, in Eating Grass, explains that Pakistan’s humiliation in 1971 shifted its nuclear program toward weapons development.
Regional Competition
India pursued nuclear weapons for prestige and to compete with China. Its 1962 conflict with China and the 1974 and 1998 nuclear tests were motivated by status and regional competition.
Finally, Plokhy warns that, given today’s instability and rivalries, up to 40 more countries could acquire nuclear weapons. Consequently, this would increase the risk of accidental or intentional nuclear war—a serious threat to global security.
Published in Dawn, 3rd November 2025
