The Iranian Nuclear Threat in an Era of Self-deterrence

Excerpt

Nuclear weapons are the ultimate means of deterrence and coercion. Once used as a decisive weapon to defeat Japan and end World War II, their massively destructive nature led to the emergence of a global taboo against using these weapons ever again.

The balance of power between the United States and the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formulated into an overarching nuclear theory, which introduced concepts such as mutually assured destruction (MAD), escalation dominance, and nuclear deterrence. This theory was challenged several times over the course of history but still serves as the basis of strategic planning, force buildup, and deployment.

Eyal Hulata is a senior international fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the first foreign visiting fellow at FDD headquarters. Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at FDD focusing on the Middle East and the Gulf.