If not, will more countries seek nuclear weapons, including US allies or friends? Those bargains posited that states that already had nuclear weapons as of 1967—the United States and Russia, most importantly—would reward states that forego such weapons. After the CIA helped overthrow the Mossadegh government in 1953, the Shah’s regime became the United States’ leading ally in the Persian Gulf. Will the lack of negotiated adjustment and reconciliation of competing interests lead more states to seek nuclear weapons? The Iran war paired with the Ukraine war arguably leaves them less settled than ever.

Source: Los Angeles Times April 02, 2026 10:03 UTC