Authors: David S. Jonas, Tyler Breeden
The United States dropped “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, bringing an end to World War II and killing between 110,000 and 210,000 people. Japan surely needed much more than rock and roll to help them—especially since Japan had no nuclear weapons of their own to deter the United States from attacking with nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons technology has evolved considerably in the years since 1945, when only the United States possessed nuclear weapons. Nine states now have or are suspected of having them, and at least one other state appears to be working towards a nuclear weapons capability. Delivery systems have become faster, stealthier, and more accurate while the quantity, explosive yield, and lethality of nuclear explosive devices have also increased. With the potential to cause immeasurable destruction, world leaders have for decades sought to decrease the threat of nuclear war, reduce nuclear arsenals, and—most importantly—prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons.
States around the world have entered arms control treaties and arms reduction agreements to reduce the risk of military standoffs between nuclear-armed states. Entire continents have created “Nuclear Weapon Free Zones” to prevent the stationing, storage, or transport of nuclear weapons through their geographic areas. States that have developed peaceful nuclear energy programs have committed to international verification regimes to ensure that nuclear technology is only being used for peaceful purposes. However, despite strong international pressure, some states have continued to covet nuclear weapons.
In recent years, Iran has become a major concern and shown signs that it has an active nuclear weapons program. It has violated its legally binding safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), hidden nuclear sites from international inspectors, and continued to enrich uranium ever closer to weapons grade. At the same time, Iran has continuously threatened Israel with annihilation and provided training and funding to terrorist organizations that frequently stage attacks.
