THE NUCLEAR THRESHOLD

The book looks at how recent nuclear diplomacy has unsettled many states in the international community, and argues that countries seeking nuclear arms for the most unconventional motives should face sanctions. It studies ongoing nuclear negotiations within the global framework meant to stop weapons spread, and measures how well the enforcement mechanisms actually work. It cites a statement by an Iranian leader who claimed that a religious ruling under Islamic law forbids nuclear weapons and that this ruling had nothing to do with the nuclear talks.

The author asks why states labeled as rogues have persistently pursued nuclear ambitions, and whether those ambitions serve any purpose beyond defense. If acquiring nuclear weapons is not illegal under a strictly enforced compliance system, the book asks, where is the real gap? The author rejects the idea that the main duty lies in non-proliferation. Instead, the duty falls on the nuclear-armed states to disarm, not as a gesture of goodwill but as a requirement of compliance.

The book also asks which states are the known rogues and when any of them have publicly and unilaterally renounced their nuclear ambitions. It will appeal to readers interested in arms control, nuclear policy and the international legal rules governing weapons.