No. 107: Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East: Here to Stay

No. 107: Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East: Here to Stay

Author(s): Liviu Horovitz
Editor(s): Daniel Trachsler
Series: CSS Analyses in Security Policy
Issue: 107
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich
Publication Year: 2012

In order to avoid enduring setbacks, rigorous groundwork will be required prior to and during a diplomatic meeting addressing nuclear issues within the Middle East. At the same time, structural factors render any prospect for regional disarmament premature. Resolving Iran's nuclear file remains paramount, but a solution is not in sight. For Israel, the abolition of nuclear weapons appears neither necessary nor desirable. Given existing dynamics, the most plausible future regional developments are unlikely to encourage disarmament steps. More probable, upholding the existing state of affairs will prove challenging enough.

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Enlarged view:
Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone: Potential Members
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