Azernews.Az

Ulviyya Poladova

Read more

Nuclear weapons are widely regarded as the most dangerous weapons ever created. A single nuclear warhead has the potential to destroy an entire city, killing hundreds of thousands or even millions of people within minutes, while leaving long-term environmental and humanitarian consequences that can last for generations.

According to the United Nations, for the first time in decades, the number of nuclear warheads is on the rise. Nuclear testing is back on the table, and global military spending jumped to $2.7 trillion in 2025.

The nuclear age began on July 16, 1945, when the Trinity Test Site in the United States became the location of the world’s first nuclear explosion. Less than a month later, humanity witnessed nuclear weapons used in war for the first and only time.

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing or injuring nearly 130,000 people. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where around 74,000 people were killed and tens of thousands more were severely injured. These events marked a turning point in global history, demonstrating the unprecedented destructive power of nuclear weapons.

In the decades that followed, nuclear weapons became central to global security strategies. During the period of the Cold War, nuclear arsenals were viewed primarily as tools of deterrence. The logic of "mutually assured destruction" prevented direct conflict between superpowers but created a constant risk of global annihilation.

Today, the global nuclear order remains shaped by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 1970. It is one of the most widely adopted international security agreements, with 191 participating states committed to preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting disarmament.

The treaty recognizes five official nuclear-weapon states: the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. However, several other countries outside the treaty framework - India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea - also possess nuclear weapons, adding complexity to global non-proliferation efforts.

According to widely cited estimates, the global nuclear stockpile is around 12,000 warheads. Approximately 90% of these are held by Russia and the United States alone. China, France, and the United Kingdom maintain smaller but still significant arsenals.

Because nuclear programs are highly classified, exact numbers remain uncertain and are based on publicly available estimates and historical data.

In recent years, concerns about nuclear escalation have returned to the forefront of international security discussions. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has warned that global nuclear tensions are now approaching levels last seen during the Cold War.

He emphasized that the current nuclear environment is more complex and less predictable, with more actors and weaker trust between states. In this context, strengthening the NPT and maintaining international cooperation has become increasingly urgent.

At the same time, discussions about nuclear deterrence are re-emerging in several countries, particularly amid rising geopolitical instability. Debates over nuclear capabilities have surfaced in regions such as East Asia and parts of Europe, reflecting growing uncertainty in global security structures.

The study published in the journal Risk Analysis describes Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu as the island countries most capable of producing enough food for their populations after an "abrupt sunlight‐reducing catastrophe" such as a nuclear war, super volcano or asteroid strike.

What would happen in a nuclear conflict?

The humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons are catastrophic. A single detonation over a major city could kill hundreds of thousands of people instantly, while multiple strikes could overwhelm global emergency systems and disrupt climate patterns.

A nuclear explosion releases energy through blast waves, extreme heat, and ionizing radiation. Within seconds, fireballs can vaporize structures near ground zero, while shockwaves destroy buildings miles away. Fires can merge into firestorms, consuming entire urban areas.

Radiation exposure causes both immediate and long-term effects, including acute illness, cancer, genetic damage, and environmental contamination. Even regions far from the blast zone can be affected by radioactive fallout carried through air and water systems.

Scientific assessments suggest that large-scale nuclear conflict could trigger global climatic disruption, reducing agricultural output and potentially leading to widespread famine - an effect sometimes referred to as "nuclear winter."

Beyond immediate destruction, nuclear weapons leave a legacy of suffering. Studies cited by organizations such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons estimate that atmospheric nuclear testing alone may eventually result in millions of cancer-related deaths worldwide.

Global economic and political impact

The detonation of nuclear weapons would not only be a humanitarian and environmental disaster but also a systemic geopolitical shock.

Global financial markets would likely collapse in the immediate aftermath due to uncertainty and panic. International trade would be severely disrupted, especially if major economic powers were involved. Governments in affected regions could face institutional breakdown, while global governance structures would come under extreme strain.

Based on 2025–2026 geopolitical analysis, countries with the highest risk of initiating or being drawn into significant armed conflict include Russia, China, Israel, Iran, and the United States. Major flashpoints include the Russia-Ukraine war, potential Chinese action against Taiwan, and widening Middle East conflicts involving Iran’s allies.

The United States has repeatedly expressed concern that Iran is enriching uranium at levels and quantities that could potentially bring it closer to developing nuclear weapons capability. Washington and several of its allies argue that such activity raises serious proliferation risks, even if Iran officially maintains that its program is strictly peaceful.

Tehran insists that its nuclear program is intended for civilian purposes such as energy production and medical research, and that it remains within the framework of international agreements and monitoring systems.

As negotiations between USA and Iran remain stalled, the region continues to face a fragile and uncertain balance. The combination of nuclear suspicion, military tensions, and competing security narratives ensures that the issue remains one of the most volatile challenges in global politics.