Lynn Jamieson
On the 14th of April 2024, a nuclear-armed state, Israel, was attacked by 300 drones and missiles. Iran was responding to the bombing of their diplomatic embassy in Syria, an act attributed to Israel.
One of the uncomfortable facts these events demonstrate is the failed myth of nuclear deterrence. Nuclear weapons may embolden states to behave badly but they don’t necessarily prevent attack. The only certainty provided by nuclear weapons is that total catastrophe on a global scale can happen at any moment, whether by accident or deliberate act.
Following the drone attack, the world is waiting in fear of further escalation by Israel. A constellation of states risk being drawn in, including the UK who helped to destroy some of the drones targeted at Israel. As UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, said “It’s time to step back from the brink”.
Surely assistance to the region should concentrate on ending military action in Gaza, the release of hostages, and progress towards a long-term just settlement?
The UK’s own nuclear posturing does not position our diplomats well for leadership. The UK’s military doctrine perpetuates the arrogance of holding the whole world to ransom in a suicidal claim that nuclear weapons are in ‘our interests’ and in total disregard for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, a treaty that the majority of states in the world support.
In the long term, that treaty is the only real way ‘back from the brink’.