The recent U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran have proven something to the world: Either you get the bomb, or you bow before someone who has the bomb. That wouldn’t be so grim if the stakes weren’t so high. But the issue with nuclear bombs is it only takes one to go off before apocalyptic concerns rear their head. To small and great powers alike, the current war in Iran proves the only guarantee of deterring a nuclear-armed adversary in this era is if you actually have a nuclear weapon of your own.
Oceans of ink have been spilled over who should or should not get a nuclear weapon, but given the recent events, several countries are doing more than just talking about becoming nuclear powers. Poland, Finland, Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia are a few of the countries which reportedly are eyeing getting their own nuclear deterrent. Undoubtedly others are secretly scrambling to see if they can acquire nuclear capabilities themselves.
Despite these countries being part of many international treaties and alliances, they are rationally realizing if they want some semblance of independence, they need a means to assert themselves. They’re watching what is happening in Iran and see that the cost for not having nuclear weapons just went up. Even if a country isn’t a state-sponsor of terror and may have great respectability on the world stage, who says all those friendships will last? Wise leaders understand that international relationships can flip on a dime, and if a major deterrent like an alliance isn’t guaranteed to protect you, why wouldn’t you want the most dreaded weapon on the planet as an alternative?
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