Rome, September 7, 2025 — The world could be heading toward a dangerous future where as many as 25 nations possess nuclear weapons, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has warned, amid stalled disarmament and renewed interest in nuclear arsenals across several regions.
In an interview with Italy’s La Repubblica, published on Sunday, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said the global nuclear threat was now higher than in previous decades. “Without wanting to spread panic, the risk of nuclear conflict is higher today than in the past,” he cautioned.
Grossi expressed concern that disarmament efforts had ground to a halt, while states that already possess nuclear weapons are increasing their stockpiles. “Those who possess nuclear weapons are producing more of them, including China,” he noted. He added that the normalization of rhetoric surrounding the use of tactical nuclear weapons was particularly troubling, reflecting a broader shift in global security dynamics.
Currently, there are nine recognized nuclear-armed states: the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, and France — along with India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel. Collectively, they hold an estimated 12,000 nuclear warheads, with Russia and the U.S. alone accounting for roughly 10,700 of those, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
Grossi said he was alarmed by recent statements from leaders in Asia, Asia Minor, and the Persian Gulf, where interest in pursuing nuclear capability has been openly declared. While he declined to name the countries directly, he warned that a world with 20 to 25 nuclear-armed states would be “unpredictable and dangerous,” with potentially catastrophic consequences for global stability.
“The process of disarmament or the controlled reduction of nuclear arsenals has come to a standstill,” Grossi said, underscoring the urgency of revitalizing arms control agreements and international dialogue.
His remarks come amid heightened geopolitical tensions worldwide, with nuclear rhetoric increasingly prominent in conflicts involving Russia, North Korea, and other regional flashpoints. The warning adds to growing calls for renewed multilateral efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation and to secure global non-proliferation frameworks before the situation escalates further.
Source: Bernama
