The General & the Journalist A new age of nuclear weapons
Jul 2, 2025
The conversation probes the unsettling reality of potentially entering a new nuclear age, focusing on Iran's ambitions and various nations considering nuclear arms. Historical context is examined, drawing parallels to the Cold War's fear, including chilling personal anecdotes. The discussions also highlight the shifting nuclear policies of countries like the UK, and the challenges faced by the Non-Proliferation Treaty amid rising tension. Finally, insightful polls reveal a notable decline in NATO's perceived importance among younger generations.
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Multiple Drivers Push States Toward Nukes
- Ukraine, doubts about US guarantees, treaty erosion and China's build-up drive proliferation risk.
- Tom Newton-Dunn lists these factors as the main catalysts for a new nuclear rush.
Arms Control Collapse Raises New Risks
- Arms-control rollback and new tech raise nuclear instability.
- General Sir Patrick Sanders warns START gaps, AI, cyber and hypersonics change escalation calculus.
Four Strategic Buckets For States
- Ben Zahler groups states into four nuclear-strategy buckets.
- General Sir Patrick Sanders uses these buckets to explain who hedges, protests, transforms or clings to tradition.
