The DSR Network Welcome to the New Nuclear Nightmare
Feb 11, 2026
Jon Wolfsthal, arms-control specialist with government and think-tank experience, and Joe Cirincione, longtime nuclear policy advocate, join to talk Iran, nuclear capabilities, and rising Middle East tensions. They discuss claims about Iran’s program, the politics behind treaty rollbacks, the collapse of New START, and the broader risks of renewed nuclear competition and regional proliferation.
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Iran Was Set Back, Not Destroyed
- Joe Cirincione says Iran's nuclear program was seriously damaged but not "obliterated," and capability to build a bomb remains within weeks if pursued.
- Lack of inspections and visible activity means we can't know how close Iran is to weaponization.
Gangster Foreign Policy Won't Work On Iran
- Jon Wolfsthal compares Trump's tactics to gangster-style pressure and says Venezuela showed his bullying approach.
- He argues Iran is far harder to subdue than Venezuela, making regime-change plans unrealistic.
Arms Control's Interlocking Guardrails Collapsed
- Jon Wolfsthal and Joe Cirincione describe the death of the arms-control regime after two decades of treaty withdrawals and erosions.
- They warn that removing interlocking agreements removes guardrails and raises global nuclear risk.