The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has warned of the dangers of a world where more than 25 states possess nuclear weapons.
“Without wishing to spread panic, the risk of a nuclear conflict today is greater than in the past,” Grossi said in an interview with the Italian daily La Repubblica.
He suggested that at some point between 20 and 25 countries could acquire nuclear weapons, though he did not specify a timeline.
Currently, experts estimate there are nine nuclear-armed states worldwide.
“The process of disarmament, or controlled reduction of nuclear arsenals, has stalled,” the UN agency chief stated. “Those states that already possess nuclear weapons are producing even more, including China.”
Grossi also warned of the growing rhetoric around the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons, describing it as deeply troubling.
He expressed concern over the ambitions of several countries seeking to acquire nuclear capabilities.
“As director of the agency, I cannot name them, but these are important states in Asia and the Persian Gulf. A world with 20–25 nuclear-armed countries would be unpredictable and dangerous,” Grossi stressed.
Of the nine nuclear-armed states, five are permanent members of the UN Security Council: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China.
The others are India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel, according to findings by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
Together, these states are believed to hold around 12,000 nuclear weapons, with the United States and Russia accounting for approximately 10,700 of them.
