When two nuclear-armed powers square up to each other as India and Pakistan have done over the disputed territory of Kashmir, the rest of the world has good reason to fear that the conflict could ultimately result in a nuclear conflagration.
One of the key concerns that has underpinned the concerns of world leaders during the three-year Ukraine conflict is that it could escalate into a full-blown nuclear war between Russia, which possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, and the NATO alliance.
Similarly, the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran over the ayatollahs’ controversial nuclear programme have raised concerns that it could ultimately result in a nuclear conflict, not least because the Israelis have developed a formidable nuclear arsenal of their own. And even though Iran continues to deny it has any intention of developing nuclear weapons, the latest assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency has concluded that the Iranians have developed sufficient quantities of nuclear weapons to produce at least six nuclear warheads.
The eruption of hostilities between India and Pakistan is therefore the latest example of a conflict between two nuclear-armed nations, raising the spectre of a full-blown nuclear conflict taking place unless intense efforts are undertaken to defuse tensions between the two countries.
Growing nuclear arsenal
While neither India nor Pakistan has made public the true extent of their nuclear arsenals, India is believed to have a slightly larger stockpile of nuclear weapons, with approximately 172 warheads, compared with Pakistan, which is said to have around 170.
Furthermore, both countries—far from being prepared to scale down their nuclear stockpiles—have declared their commitment to expand their nuclear capabilities, with India developing its ability to launch nuclear warheads from land, air and sea, and Pakistan focusing on the development of smaller tactical missiles.
