World on the brink of new arms race
The world risks plunging into a 'new dangerous arms race' as most nuclear powers seek to modernize and expand their arsenals, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has warned in its annual review.
The pace of disarmament is slowing as nuclear-armed states launch 'intensive' arsenal modernization programs, the research center said in a paper published on Monday.
Russia and the US, which together possess around 90% of all nuclear weapons in the world, are set to see the last remaining bilateral nuclear arms control treaty – the New START – expire in February 2026, SIPRI noted. The agreement limits the number of simultaneously deployed strategic nuclear warheads.
Moscow suspended its participation in the treaty in 2023, citing the impracticality of the inspection regime due to deep Western involvement in the Ukraine conflict. However, it maintained that it remained open to dialogue on the issue if the arsenals of Washington's NATO allies were also considered.
Washington, meanwhile, insists on including China in any new agreement. According to SIPRI, China possesses the fastest-growing nuclear arsenal in the world and could rival 'either Russia or the USA' in its number of intercontinental ballistic missiles by the end of the decade.
The UK and France are also modernizing their nuclear forces, focusing on nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, the report said. Paris additionally aims to develop a new ballistic missile warhead.
'The era of reductions in the number of nuclear weapons in the world, which had lasted since the end of the Cold War, is coming to an end,' said Hans M. Kristensen, Associate Senior Fellow with SIPRI's Weapons of Mass Destruction Program. 'We see a clear trend of growing nuclear arsenals, sharpened nuclear rhetoric, and the abandonment of arms control agreements.'
The research institute also listed Israel among the nations 'believed to be modernizing its nuclear arsenal.' While West Jerusalem does not officially acknowledge possessing nuclear weapons, SIPRI pointed to tests of new missile propulsion systems and alleged upgrades at the plutonium production reactor site in Dimona.
Israel could have up to 90 nuclear warheads at its disposal, the report stated. The findings come as West Jerusalem conducts air raids against Iranian nuclear and military facilities, claiming the Islamic Republic is nearing the creation of a nuclear bomb. Tehran, which maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful, was not mentioned in the SIPRI report.
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