Us Counter Proliferation Efforts: A Comparative Study of North Korea and Iran

Abstract

The use of nuclear weapons in the post-Cold War era made global security disastrous. But this nuclear acquisition has also given the states a stance that they are pursuing it only for deterrence against external threats. The states signed a non-proliferation treaty to further curb this proliferation. Prior to the non-proliferation treaty, only five states had nuclear weapons. However, following the signing of the non-proliferation treaty, Israel, India, and Pakistan became nuclear states.  Moreover, Iran and North Korea also pursued their nuclear activities despite signing the non-proliferation treaty and finally withdrew from the treaty, claiming that these activities were very important for their national security concerns. The US and West believe that their nuclear activities pose a threat to them as well as to the world's human security. They devised a number of strategies to counter the threat of further proliferation and limit any threat of nuclear terrorism. They also applied coercive diplomatic policies in Iran and North Korea to hinder the proliferation of any explosive material. However, all of them remained unsuccessful, as both states remain reluctant to pursue their activities.