Iran Press/ Europe: The report highlights that the nine nuclear-armed states — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel — have continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals and deploy new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2023.
The report notes that the number and types of weapons are increasing as countries rely more and more on nuclear deterrence. As of January 2024, there were approximately 12,121 nuclear warheads in the world, with 9,585 on alert. The majority of these warheads belong to Russia or the United States, but China is believed to have placed some on high alert for the first time.
India, Pakistan, and North Korea are seeking to place multiple warheads on ballistic missiles, while the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States, and France already possess this capability, according to SIPRI.
The security situation on the planet is becoming more complicated and the path to peace without nuclear weapons is becoming more difficult, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said commenting on SIPRI's report.
"The international security situation is becoming more complex, and under these circumstances, the path to a world without nuclear weapons is becoming more difficult." "China appears to be further enhancing the capabilities of its nuclear forces by rapidly and opaquely increasing the number of available nuclear warheads and developing and deploying various delivery vehicles," Hayashi pointed out.
He emphasized that under such circumstances, practical efforts should be made to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.
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