When the Atomic Bomb detonated at the Trinity Test of July 16, 1945, even Robert J. Oppenheimer knew there, and then that a monster that should never have seen the light of day had been created. Because what succeeded this historic event sequel to the utter destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the frantic craze to acquire this most dangerous and destructive power ever known to man.
A craze that took the entire world through a dreadful Cold War era, where the fear of a nuclear Holocaust and the entire annihilation of the planet Earth was the prevailing situation. A period of balance of power alongside Balance of Terror where Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) was guaranteed should the United States and the then USSR suffer the misfortune of plunging into all-out nuclear warfare.
The aftermath of such an unfortunate situation, if it were to have happened, were well showcased in many blockbuster Hollywood movies of that period depicting an utterly destroyed, desolate and uninhabitable post nuclear war world. All movies made to underscore the grave danger of meddling with this incredibly destructive force of mass destruction.
The ongoing situation in the Middle East between Iran and Israel and the U.S., entangled on one side, is, however, nowhere near a Hollywood movie. Iran’s quest to develop and own nuclear weapons has always been a conundrum for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United States, the state of Israel which it had sustained long-standing animosity with, and indeed, the entire Middle East region.
This is not far-fetched from the belligerent posture of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who is a widely known ally of several terrorist organisations like Hamas and Hezbollah, and had at different times given direct support to these terrorist groups against Israel, calling for outright annihilation of the Jewish people.
So when the state of Israel launched air strikes across Iran on the 13th of June, 2025, targeting nuclear facilities and killing many top members of Iran’s military leadership, and the United States following suit on the 22nd, the claim was self defence and a national security contingency to protect the Jewish people. But one might ask a question at this junture, at what point does Mr Giwa’s sharpening of his cutlass in his backyard constitute a threat to Mr Ali, his next door unfriendly neighbour?
Because, truth be told, on what moral grounds does Israel or even the United States, for that matter, ask that Iran jettison its nuclear weapons ambition when both of them still sustain stockpiles of nuclear warheads in their respective arsenals? I mean, doesn’t the Holy Bible itself tell us to first remove the log in our eyes before attempting to remove the spec in someone else’s. This reflection took me back in time to 2006 at the University of Ibadan, and reminded me of the central argument in my M.Sc Dissertation titled ‘Nuclear Weapons Proliferation’ and the quest for Sustainable Global Security, the case of Iran and North Korea, where i argued that the prevention of further proliferation of nuclear weapons by non nuclear States and disarmament efforts of the already nuclear armed States requires not just political rhetorics of the US led IAEA and its ineffective treaties but also a honest and practical measure.
The continued stockpiling of nuclear arms by the already nuclear States signifies hypocrisy in the face of the disarmament treaties and undermines global peace efforts. As a leading global actor, the United States bears a moral and strategic responsibility to lead disarmament efforts, thereby encouraging reciprocity from Iran and North Korea. By committing to verifiable reduction in its existing nuclear stockpiles, the U.S. can reinforce the Non-proliferation treaty framework and promote a safer world.
As it is, that has not been the case, which was why North Korea eventually completed its nuclear weapons program and had conducted several weapons tests since 2009. The same feat Iran hoped to achieve in the distant future, if not this sudden war of attrition.
Be that as it may, the US and Israel need to cease hostilities immediately. So many, if not all of Iran’s nuclear facilities, have been totally decimated while the destruction of civilian life and property is starting to escalate with the potential to result in deepening humanitarian crisis.
Continued warfare risks displacing millions and fuelling further extremism in the already volatile region. All parties must return to the negotiation table. A diplomatic engagement is critical to de-escalating tensions and securing a peaceful resolution. The protection of innocent lives and preservation of human dignity must take precedence over political or military ambitions. Without immediate action, the region risks plunging into irreversible chaos with far- reaching consequences for global security.
●Olusegun Hassan, Ph.D
Public Policy Analyst and Social Commentator writes from Ibadan
