The risk of nuclear disaster is higher today than ever before, with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moving their annual Doomsday to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been in history. In 2025 alone, 5 of the 9 nuclear armed states engaged in armed conflict. Nuclear threats are being normalized and diplomacy is being eroded. IPPNW rejects this trend and calls for a return to negotiations and peace building measures.
War in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine is causing death, destruction, and a wave of desperate refugees. The danger greater because of Ukraine’s 15 nuclear power reactors under threat in a war zone.
India- Pakistan
The ongoing conflict between two nuclear armed states in South Asia marks a very serious nuclear flashpoint. The most recent escalation in May of 2025 makes this a very dangerous situation.
Israeli Aggression
The only nuclear armed nation in the Middle East, Israel, has been conducting aggressive military attacks throughout the region. Their attacks on Iran jeopardized the JCPOA nuclear deal.
Threats of proliferation
Threats to nonproliferation, more countries acquiring nuclear weapons, create a dangerous narrative around nuclear weapons and undermine existing nonproliferation and disarmament frameworks such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
As fears rise in Europe over a potential U.S. withdrawal of nuclear weapons, debates around proliferation among European countries, or the possible creation of a “Eurobomb” under France’s nuclear umbrella, are increasingly concerning. Similarly, the proposed AUKUS expansion of nuclear-powered submarines in Australia threatens to weaken the global nuclear taboo and open new pathways for proliferation.
Eurobombs would make the world a much more unstable and dangerous place (April 2025)
Proposed US/UK nuclear-powered submarines for Australia: Jeopardising health and fueling an arms race (Sept 2021)