Consider what would happen if Russian, Israel, or even Saudi Arabia had solid intel that ISIS had a functional nuclear device? Now, forget what bammy & crew would do - probably send them help with maintaining it "for everyone's safety."
But if these other powers who have felt the sting of ISIS' found out ISIS had nukes... They wouldn't hesitate, they wouldn't take the chance that they might draw the short straw and be the ones ISIS picked to use it on. No, any of them would immediately marshal their forces and absolutely level any place and every place ISIS might have it stored. No worries about collateral damage or civilian casualties, no quarter given, bomb those sites back to the stone age then bounce the rubble.
Now, you think ISIS may have worked that out on their own too? That nukes, while extremely powerful both physically and politically are a tremendous liability? So if they had one or more, every hour they held it/them would increase the likelihood of getting completely stomped, possibly even hit by a tactical nuke themselves. So if they ever get one, they need to use it quickly. That implies they would want to already have plans drawn up to use whatever they might obtain - so that they could go on mere minutes or at worst a few hours notice. Anything else, they risk it leaking, and total annihilation.
Interesting perspective. I cannot find fault with it.
It seems like Russia is pretty serious about both Syria and Turkey...
You’re ignoring the option of the nukes not being in ISIS controlled territory. We wouldn’t know until the device worked if they used a transport method that avoided radiation monitors.
Agreed. There’d be no “wait for the perfect opportunity” or “use it on a special date like 9/11”. Just simply detonating it - anywhere, even barren desert - would be enough to cause extreme consternation ‘round the world, significantly raising their perceived power among friend & foe alike. And using it ASAP would be paramount to ensure it wasn’t located & destroyed before they could use it - and locating & destroying it would be paramount for every single foe (to the point that methinks the US military would unilaterally act on it _without_ POTUS approval, act now in earnest and tolerate the political consequences later).