Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Nuclear spectre: On the risk of an era of nuclear brinkmanship

​Nuclear spectre: On the risk of an era of nuclear brinkmanship

Israeli and U.S. actions against Iran amount to nuclear brinkmanship

After a 12-day intense missile barrage and air attacks following Israel’s illegal aerial attacks on Iran, the two countries finally announced a ceasefire on Tuesday (June 24, 2025). Ostensibly (प्रत्यक्ष तौर पर) conducted as a “pre-emptive (पूर्व-निवारक, पूर्व-क्रियात्मक)” strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the Israeli attacks graduated into a full-fledged war that also involved U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear installations. These attacks, in blithely (लापरवाही से) ignoring the dangers of radioactive leakage, and their subsequent responses, point to the stark nature of a fragile (Easily broken or damaged; delicate; (of a person or organization) easily destroyed or threatened) international order now threatened by escalating nuclear risks from West Asia to Ukraine and even the Indian subcontinent. The attacks on Iran might have damaged its nuclear installations and, in particular, its uranium enrichment capabilities. Yet, this naked aggression was against a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a country that had willingly subjected its facilities to international scrutiny. Iran had also signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with the P5+1 (nuclear-armed states plus Germany) to ensure that its nuclear capabilities remained peaceful, only for it to be rendered meaningless after the U.S. withdrew from it during President Donald Trump’s first term. These attacks now create a new dynamic, wherein Iran is compelled to seek nuclear weapons by withdrawing from its commitments — its parliament is now mulling a bill to exit the NPT — and use them as a deterrent (निवारक, अवरोधक). Meanwhile, any step Iran takes to do so could be used to justify further aggression by Israel and the U.S., thereby rejecting international laws and the NPT’s nonproliferation (अप्रसार) norm.

Israel’s hypocrisy (पाखंड, ढोंग, कपट) is stark. It remains a non-signatory to the NPT and refuses any oversight of its undeclared, but known, arsenal. This raises the possibility that it values nuclear weapons not for deterrence but for their destructive potential. U.S. protection emboldens it to pursue (अनुसरण करना, पीछा करना) destructive policies in Gaza and illegal wars in West Asia. Combined with the Russian threat to use nuclear weapons to deter conventional aggression by NATO following its Ukraine invasion, these actions reveal how the renewed (नवीकरण करना, फिर से शुरू करना) “competition among the great powers” and their cynical understanding of deterrence are dismantling global stability. The idea of nuclear disarmament (निरस्त्रीकरण) is in tatters as the nuclear-weapon states continue to expand and modernise their arsenals, while non-proliferation is under threat as other countries turn to nuclear weapons to safeguard themselves. Without a renewed diplomatic impetus (प्रेरणा, प्रोत्साहन) to re-establish international norms on conflict, a stronger push for disarmament among all nuclear-armed states, and a firm commitment to uphold the NPT, the world risks sliding into a new era of nuclear brinkmanship (The practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics) that could prove more dangerous than the Cold War’s darkest moments.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Ostensibly (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रत्यक्ष तौर पर
English Meaning - Apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually.

2.Pre- emptive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - पूर्व-निवारक, पूर्व-क्रियात्मक
English Meaning - Taken as a measure against something anticipated, anticipated and intended to prevent; characterized by pre-emption.

3.Blithely (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - लापरवाही से
English Meaning - In a casual and cheerful way, often indicating a lack of concern where concern would be appropriate.

4.Nonproliferation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रसार
English Meaning - The prevention of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons or the prevention of the spread of any form of technology.

5.Hypocrisy (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पाखंड, ढोंग, कपट
English Meaning - The practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense.

6.Pursue (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - अनुसरण करना, पीछा करना
English Meaning - Follow (someone or something) in order to catch or attain them.

7.Disarmament (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निरस्त्रीकरण
English Meaning - The reduction or withdrawal of military forces and weapons.

8.Deterrent (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निवारक, अवरोधक
English Meaning - A thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something.

9.Renew (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - नवीकरण करना, फिर से शुरू करना
English Meaning - Resume (an activity) after an interruption; extend the period of validity of (a licence, subscription, or contract).

10.Impetus (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरणा, प्रोत्साहन
English Meaning - The force or energy with which a body moves; something that makes a process or activity happen or happen more quickly.

11.Brinkmanship (Noun)

English Meaning - The practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics.

12.Fragile (Adjective)

English Meaning - Easily broken or damaged; delicate; (of a person or organization) easily destroyed or threatened.