Nuclear Weapons Policy

Hiroshima warns against nuclear weapons as it marks 80 years since A-bomb

The western Japanese city of Hiroshima was levelled on Aug 6, 1945, when the United States dropped a uranium bomb nicknamed "Little Boy", killing about 78,000 people instantly

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Nuclear bombing must keep being commemorated

Truman's moral case might have been stronger had the US issued a clear public warning to Japan in July 1945; the Allies threatened consequences but didn't reveal the nature of the coming devastation

Russia walks out of INF Treaty: Is a new nuclear arms race beginning?

Nearly four decades after the Cold War cooled, the 1987 INF Treaty is officially history. Russia has dropped out of it, citing threats from the US and NATO.

What is Samson Option, Israel's nuclear threat that's no longer a theory?

As missile strikes escalate across the region, Israel's nuclear doctrine, the Samson Option, is no longer a Cold War relic but a live deterrent shaping West Asia's most volatile flashpoint

China's nuclear arsenal growing fastest globally, may hit 1,500 by 2035

Even with 1,500 warheads by 2035, China's nuclear arsenal would still be only about one-third the size of Russia's or the US's current stockpiles

Top 9 countries with most nuclear weapons in 2025; Check India's rank

Although the rise of nuclear weapons globally dates back to the Cold War, the growth of nuclear weapons reduced in following years, however still the number of nuclear-armed countries remains high

India reaffirms commitment to prevent proliferation of destruction weapons

India has consistently supported UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which aims to prevent non-state actors from acquiring WMDs

Kim Jong Un again threatens to use nuclear weapons against South Korea, US

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned again that he could use nuclear weapons in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States, as he accused them of provoking North Korea and raising animosities on the Korean Peninsula, state media reported on Tuesday. Kim has issued similar threats to use nuclear weapons preemptively numerous times, but his latest warning came as outside experts say North Korea could ramp up hostilities ahead of next month's US presidential election. In a Monday speech at a university named after him, Kim Jong Un University of National Defence, he said that North Korea "will without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies if they attempt to use armed forces against North Korea, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency. The use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out in this case, he said. Kim said North Korea's nuclear response posture must be fully enhanced because South Korea and the United States are pushing

Explained: How Russia may change its doctrine for nuclear weapon use

The current doctrine was set out by President Vladimir Putin in June 2020 in a six-page decree

Iran moving forward on key aspect of developing a nuclear bomb, claims US

Iran is talking more about getting a nuclear bomb and has made strides in developing a key aspect of a weapon since about April, when Israel and its allies overpowered a barrage of Iranian airstrikes targeting Israel, two top Biden administration officials said Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking at separate panels during a security forum in Colorado, said the United States was watching closely for any signs that Iran had made a decision to pursue actual weaponization of its nuclear program. However, Sullivan said, I have not seen a decision by Iran to move in a way that signals it has decided to actually develop a nuclear bomb right now. "If they start moving down that road, they'll find a real problem with the United States," Sullivan said at the Aspen Security Forum, which draws U.S. policymakers, journalists and others. Iran resumed progress on its nuclear program after the Trump administration ended US cooperation wit

India vs Pakistan: Who has more nuclear bombs and what is China up to?

The nine nuclear-armed nations of the world, including the US, Russia, France, China, India and Pakistan, continued to modernise their nuclear arsenals in 2023, says a recent SIPRI report

Nuclear-armed nations deepening reliance on their nuclear weapons

The world's nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernise their nuclear weapons as the countries deepened their reliance on such deterrence in 2023, a Swedish think tank said on Monday. We have not seen nuclear weapons playing such a prominent role in international relations since the Cold War, said Wilfred Wan, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's weapons of mass destruction programme. Earlier this month, Russia and its ally Belarus launched a second stage of drills intended to train their troops in tactical nuclear weapons, part of the Kremlin's efforts to discourage the West from ramping up support for Ukraine. In a separate report, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, said the nine nuclear-armed states spent a combined total of USD 91.4 billion on their arsenals in 2023 equivalent to USD 2,898 per second. The Geneva-based coalition of disarmament activists won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017. The group said that figures sh

India to get next-gen nuclear fuel this summer, says Russian official

A full-scale discussion took place on the perspective areas of the Russian-Indian cooperation in the nuclear field

Russia feared to be 'inspecting' US spy satellite with new space weapon

US intelligence officials believe Russia's Cosmos 2576 'inspector' spacecraft is capable of inspecting and attacking other satellites in low Earth orbit

Israel should be allowed to nuke Gaza like Hiroshima, Nagasaki: US senator

Lindsey Graham, a Republican Senator and a staunch supporter of Israel, criticised President Joe Biden for pausing the delivery of 3000 heavy bombs to Israel

Russia to practice tactical nuclear weapon scenario in its military drills

The ministry said the exercise was ordered by President Vladimir Putin and would test the readiness of non-strategic nuclear forces to perform combat missions

India, Japan discuss on disarmament, non-proliferation, export control

The Indian delegation was led by Muanpuii Saiawi, Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs

$3 bn deal with UK gets Oz closer to having nuclear-powered submarines

Australia is set to provide 4.6 billion Australian dollars (USD 3 billion) to British industry to support the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and ensure its new fleet arrives on time, the two countries said Friday. The announcement came a day after the two countries signed a defense and security pact to better meet challenges such as China's increased activity in the South China Sea and South Pacific. UK Defense Minister Grant Shapps said the submarine program was expensive but necessary. Nuclear-powered submarines are not cheap, but we live in a much more dangerous world where we are seeing a much more assertive region with China, a much more dangerous world all around with what's happening in the Middle East and Europe, Shapps told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Countries need to invest in making sure that adversaries see we are serious about our security, defending freedom of navigation, for example. The 10-year deal announced at an annual ministers' gather

Russia ready to use nuclear weapons if sovereignty threatened, says Putin

President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if there is a threat to its statehood, sovereignty or independence, voicing hope that the US would refrain from actions that could trigger a nuclear conflict. Putin's statement was another blunt warning to the West ahead of a presidential vote this week in which he's all but certain to win another six-year term. In an interview with Russian state television released early Wednesday, Putin described U.S. President Joe Biden as a veteran politician who fully understands possible dangers of escalation, and said that he doesn't think that the world is heading to a nuclear war. At the same time, he emphasized that Russia's nuclear forces are in full readiness and from the military-technical viewpoint, we're prepared. Putin said that in line with the country's security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons in case of a threat to the existence of the Russian state, our sovereignty and independence. The .

Kim Jong Un calls for war readiness, inspects construction of warships

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his focus on strengthening his naval forces as he inspected the construction of new warships at an eastern shipyard, calling such projects crucial to the country's war preparations, state media said Friday. His visit to the shipyard in Nampho followed a series of weapons demonstrations in January that furthered increased tensions with rivals, including tests of new cruise missiles designed to be launched from submarines. Kim in recent months has been emphasizing his goals of building a nuclear-armed navy to counter what he portrays as growing external threats posed by the United States, South Korea and Japan, which have stepped up their military cooperation to cope with Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency did not specify when Kim visited Nampho. It paraphrased Kim as saying that the strengthening of his naval force "presents itself as the most important issue in reliably defending the