Nuclear deterrence theory emerged after the invention of atomic weapons. Strategists realized the real power was the threat, ...

For decades, nuclear weapons have been treated as the ultimate arbiter of international politics. They were supposed to deter great-power war, impose caution on leaders, and anchor what strategists ...

Between the Ukraine War and Operation Midnight Hammer, nuclear deterrence once again proved itself to be the defining issue of the year. The year 2025 made it crystal clear that the world is changing, ...

Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-41 ballistic missiles roll during a parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China in Beijing, Oct. 1, 2019. The case for U.S.

Brett McGurk is a CNN global affairs analyst who served in senior national security positions under Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. In the summer of 2022, I ...

Though the fall of Syria’s Assad would appear gainful for Israel prima facie, a potential nuclear threat from Iran not only remains, but is plausibly greater than before. One reason for such a counter ...

Personnel test load an unarmed B61-12 bomb, which can be outfitted with a nuclear warhead, on a B-2 Spirit bomber in 2022 at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. (A1C Devan Halstead/U.S. Air Force) ...

Russia’s attack on Ukraine and Moscow’s blatant threats to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine’s supporters have confronted Western public opinion with the danger of nuclear escalation for the first ...

This year’s Defense Authorization Act mandates creation of “a program for the development of a nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) capability.” The new weapon would be placed on attack ...