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The attacks on Iran didn’t achieve anything more than harm nonproliferation

The conclusion many states may now draw is that complying
with the NPT is no longer a guarantee of nuclear security.

After launching direct attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, United States President
Donald Trump was quick to declare victory. His administration claimed
“the world is far safer” after the “bombing campaign obliterated
Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons”.

But in the aftermath of the
strikes, there has been much deliberation about the extent to which the
Iranian nuclear programme was really set back. As the head of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, pointed out,
craters reveal little about what survived deep below layers of concrete.

The Trump administration admitted that at least one site was not targeted
with bunker-busting bombs because it was too deep underground. The fate of
Iran’s centrifuges and stockpile of 60 percent-enriched uranium remains
unknown.

While the extent of the damage that the Iranian nuclear programme
sustained remains unclear, the nonproliferation regime that kept it
transparent for years has been left in tatters. Instead of curbing nuclear
proliferation, this short-sighted military action may well intensify the
nuclear threat it sought to contain, making not just the Middle East but
also the entire world a far more dangerous place.

 Al Jazeera 30th June 2025,
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/6/30/the-attacks-on-iran-didnt-achieve-anything-more-than-harm-nonproliferation

July 4, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran