The $30 million price of nuclear nonproliferation

The US and Israel's war on Iran has unraveled 50 years of progress toward nuclear nonproliferation, perfectly capturing the backwardness of international nuclear policy.

The 11th Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was held at the UN headquarters in New York from April 27 to May 22, where representatives of over 200 countries and diplomatic organizations convened to ensure the treaty's tenets are upheld and encourage debate on any possible updates.

The US and Israel used the conference as a platform to attack Iran's right to peaceful enrichment of uranium, a right guaranteed under the NPT.

Undermining diplomacy and tearing up treaties

The US's involvement in the conference has been criticized for undermining diplomacy and tearing up treaties and territorial sovereignty at any time.

The international nuclear experts at the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists have publisheed a report begging the US to adopt a nuclear policy that isn't hellbent on illegal wars, mass punishment of civilians, and nullifying of international treaties.

A nuclear-free zone in the making?

Despite the challenges, some non-nuclear states used the conference to propose more modest nuclear treaties that may ultimatley prove to be more reliable.

These nuclear-free zones have arguably outperformed the NPT in producing nuclear-free outcomes in their respective sections of the globe.

Who is behind the sabotage?

The US and Israel's actions have been criticized for undermining diplomacy and tearing up treaties and territorial sovereignty at any time.

The US has also been criticized for spreading its nuclear arsenal to other countries, a form of proliferation dubbed 'nuclear sharing' that is essentially a violation of the NPT.

Open questions

The effectiveness of the NPT remains a pressing concern, with some countries questioning the treaty's ability to prevent nuclear proliferation.

The US's actions have undermined the legitimacy of the NPT,leading to increased tensions between nuclear and non-nuclear states.

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has called for the US to adopt a nuclear policy that prioritizes diplomacy and cooperation over aggression and proliferation.