The Inside Story Podcast Who decides who can have nuclear arms?
Jun 28, 2025
Tariq Rauf, former Head of Verification and Security Policy at the IAEA, and Tariq Ali, historian and editor at the New Left Review, dive into the complex world of nuclear arms. They discuss who holds the authority over nuclear proliferation, stressing the disparities created by treaties like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The conversation also highlights how military actions by the US and Israel might spark a desire for nuclear capabilities in other nations. The implications for global security and emerging candidates like Poland and Japan are particularly unsettling.
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NPT's Nuclear Weapon Tiers
- The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) recognizes five nuclear weapon states based on weapons they had by 1967.
- Other nuclear powers are de facto nuclear states but not officially recognized under the NPT.
NPT Disarmament Contradictions
- Nuclear powers agreed under the NPT to disarm but are currently modernizing their arsenals, contradicting the disarmament goal.
- Countries outside the treaty operate without treaty obligations, complicating global non-proliferation efforts.
Double Standards on Nuclear Rights
- The US and Israel enforce a double standard on Iran, a treaty signatory, while allowing Israel nuclear immunity.
- Iran's regional security concerns and past Western actions fuel its nuclear ambitions and mistrust.