Would the United States use nuclear weapons against Iran?
By Murray Hunter NUCLEAR weapons have long stood as the ultimate deterrent in great-power relations, embodied in the doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD). The concept holds that any nuclear exchange between major powers would ensure the ann...
The Doomsday Clock, maintained by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, tracks how close humanity stands to catastrophe from nuclear risks and other existential threats. The concept of mutually assured destruction (MAD) has historically deterred nuclear use in great-power relations, with the United States employing nuclear weapons only once against Japan in 1945.
This taboo against first use has persisted through various U.S. military engagements. However, recent speculation surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict has reignited discussions about the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons. Former National Counterterrorism Centre director Joe Kent argued that if the U.S. continues its efforts to remove Iran's leadership and compel total surrender, conventional options are becoming increasingly limited.
He suggested that a limited nuclear strike against Iran's uranium enrichment facilities could be considered in extreme scenarios, despite the immense moral and humanitarian consequences. The current tensions between the U.S. and Iran have raised concerns about the potential use of nuclear weapons, as both nations have issued increasingly aggressive rhetoric and threatened devastating consequences for the other's "civilisation."
Brief written by urgent.news from The Vibes's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
