The Foreign Affairs Interview The Coming Nuclear Hurricane
5 snips
Jul 17, 2025 
Pranay Vaddi, formerly overseeing nuclear policy at the National Security Council, discusses the urgent nuclear landscape today. He highlights the alarming expansion of China's arsenal and Russia's nuclear threats in Ukraine. Vaddi argues that the U.S. must revitalize its nuclear strategy, especially in the context of alliances that may falter amidst rising tensions. They also delve into Iran's nuclear ambitions and the proliferation risks that complicate global stability, urging a reassessment of deterrence tactics in this unpredictable era.
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End of Iran's Hedging Strategy
- Iran's hedging strategy is unlikely to continue; they'll likely have to fully commit to weaponization.
- Proliferators face pressures to develop nuclear weapons quickly to avoid future coercion or military action.
Return of Great Power Nuclear Competition
- The post-Cold War era’s optimism about declining nuclear threats ended with Russia’s 2014 Crimea invasion and China's massive arsenal build-up.
- Great power nuclear competition has returned, demanding urgent US nuclear strategy reconsideration.
Nuclear Weapons and Global Politics
- Nuclear weapons remain central tools of international politics for deterrence and power projection.
- The US must rethink nuclear strategy to preserve the international order against revisionist nuclear powers.
