“There is a noticeable trend of increasing nuclear arsenals, intensified nuclear rhetoric, and the abandonment of arms control agreements,” he stated.
Among the nine nuclear-armed nations— the U.S., U.K., Russia, France, China, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea— all are upgrading their existing weapons and adding new models to their inventories.
SIPRI’s 2025 yearbook estimates there are 12,241 nuclear warheads globally as of January. About 9,614 of these are in military stockpiles and ready for potential use, with over 2,100 on high alert—mostly by the United States and Russia.
China leads the expansion, having grown its nuclear arsenal by 20 percent in just one year, reaching approximately 600 warheads. It is expected to match U.S. and Russian stockpiles by 2030. India, Pakistan, and Israel are also actively enhancing or modernizing their nuclear capabilities.
The study’s results surface amid escalating conflicts between Iran and Israel and just weeks after failed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. Israel’s recent attacks in Iran targeted military sites and top nuclear scientists.
In early 2025, tensions between India and Pakistan prompted Matt Korda, senior researcher at SIPRI, to note that attacks on nuclear-related military infrastructure could escalate a conventional conflict into a nuclear crisis. “This serves as a stark warning for states increasing their reliance on nuclear weapons.”
With rising tensions between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, the International Atomic Energy Agency stated on Monday it is closely monitoring the situation and confirmed stable radiation levels following recent bombings at the Iranian uranium enrichment facility in Natanz.
“The IAEA is prepared to respond to any nuclear or radiological emergency within an hour,” stated IAEA Director Rafael Mariano Grossi. “For the second time in three years, a dramatic conflict between two member states is unfolding, with nuclear facilities under attack and their safety at risk.”
Leave a Reply