How Israel's Iran strikes might supercharge the global nuclear arms race

NBCNEWS ^ | 06/16/2025 | Alexander Smith

[ChicagoConservative27]

Israel says it first bombed Iran to stop it from being able to produce nuclear weapons and the “existential threat” they would represent. But the conflict may in the long run serve the opposite purpose: illustrating to Tehran and other nuclear-aspirant nations that nuclear weapons are essential in shielding them against attack.

Countries such as North Korea already pointed to Libya, whose leader Moammar Gadhafi gave up his nascent weapons program but was toppled anyway in 2011 after a NATO intervention. That’s one of the reasons Pyongyang has developed its own arsenal — which is believed to have San Francisco and other U.S. cities within range — to protect itself against attempts at Western-backed regime change.

“If you look at the last five or six years, you’ve got a repeated series of incidents that demonstrate nuclear weapons are a really, really powerful deterrence,” said Robert Kelly, a professor specializing in nuclear proliferation at South Korea’s Pusan National University.

As Iran just found out, “if you don’t have them, you get bombed,” he said.

[ChicagoConservative27]

What is a "expert watcher" ?

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

N B C

Nobody
But
Commies

[blackdog]

Get out your uranium powered gaslighting gear! The Beltway bureaucrats are terrified that Netanyahu will succeed. Obama is sucking on Valerie Jarretts skirt.

[Tell It Right]

What is a "expert watcher" ?

Perhaps it's a Muslim woman in heaven watching:

her husband with 72 big boobed, big eyed, virgin angels with continuously restoring hymens as her husband lives in an everlasting Diddy orgy.

[faithhopecharity]

the commies in charge of the mass media are very creative in always coming up with new schemes to smear USA and Israel

[JewishRighter]

This is the “thesis”:

“illustrating to Tehran and other nuclear-aspirant nations that nuclear weapons are essential in shielding them against attack.”

Imbecile, the Iranians just found out what happens if they try to get nukes. Also, imbecile, do you think the purpose of Iranian nukes is to deter Israel or destroy Israel. If you’re not clear on that, you’re no expert, not even an expert imbecile.

[Jim W N]

It's coming.

Soon, but not yet.

[V_TWIN]

“nuclear weapons are a really, really powerful deterrence,” said Robert Kelly, a professor specializing in nuclear proliferation at South Korea’s Pusan National University.

As Iran just found out, “if you don’t have them, you get bombed,” he said.”

WRONG PINHEAD....If your attempting to build nuclear weapons because you’ve already said a million times you want to wipe other countries (US included) off the map you get bombed.....and rightfully so.

[Texas Eagle]

Or it might not.

[adorno]

the conflict may in the long run serve the opposite purpose: illustrating to Tehran and other nuclear-aspirant nations that nuclear weapons are essential in shielding them against attack.

Actually, what Israel just demonstrated is that, being prepared to take down potential nuclear states, is essential in shielding against nuclear attacks.

Iran was in a hurry to produce nuclear weapons for attacks against Israel. Iran was not being threatened by Israel; it was Israel that was being threatened by Iran.

The NBC analysis has things exactly backwards. The NBC analysis just shows the NBC bias against Israel and in favor of Iran.

NBC is rooting for other Muslim countries to produce their own nuclear weapons. NBC is grieving that Iran didn't get to produce nuclear weapons in time (to eliminate Israel).

[Wuli]

N - Nothing
B - But
C - C-Grade intellects

[TheThirdRuffian]

Leave it to NBC to caste an amazing military victory (so far) as a failure.

Almost as bold as Walter Cronkite calling the absolute destruction of North Vietnamese troops on the Tet Offensive a defeat.

[TheThirdRuffian]

C= commies

[Publius]

Almost as bold as Walter Cronkite calling the absolute destruction of North Vietnamese troops on the Tet Offensive a defeat.

It was the Viet Cong, not the NVA, who were destroyed as a fighting force at Tet. It was the NVA that replaced the Viet Cong after Tet.

[FreedomNotSafety]

Interpretation. A totalitarian regime like Russia or Iran or wannabes, need nukes to keep themselves from being attacked in the very wars they start.

What is simpler is to not attack other countries so that nukes are not needed to prevent a counter attack.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Cool, but does not detract from the point made.

[EastTexasTraveler]

Horsesh**!

[adorno]

It was the Viet Cong, not the NVA, who were destroyed as a fighting force at Tet. It was the NVA that replaced the Viet Cong after Tet.

Viet Cong, NVA; hard to distinguish between them in the jungles and rice paddies.

[SaxxonWoods]

I guess they won’t be writing about how Iran’s nuclear program might cause the first nuclear exchange in history.

[Publius]

Had military estimates of VC troop strength been accurate, Charlie never would have been able to launch the Tet Offensive. But Charlie pulled it off. As a result, the story that the Mainstream Media followed was the Credibility Gap, not the defeat of the VC.