Nuclear weapons are widely regarded as the most dangerous weapons ever created. A single nuclear warhead has the potential to destroy an entire city, killing hundreds of thousands or even millions of people within minutes, while leaving long-term environmental and humanitarian consequences that can last for generations.

According to the United Nations, for the first time in decades, the number of nuclear warheads is on the rise. Nuclear testing is back on the table, and global military spending jumped to $2.7 trillion in 2025.

The nuclear age began on July 16, 1945, when the Trinity Test Site in the United States became the location of the world’s first nuclear explosion. Less than a month later, humanity witnessed nuclear weapons used in war for the first and only time.

On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing or injuring nearly 130,000 people. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, where around 74,000 people were killed and tens of thousands more were severely injured. These events marked a turning point in global history, demonstrating the unprecedented destructive power of nuclear weapons.

In the decades that followed, nuclear weapons became central to global security strategies. During the period of the Cold War, nuclear arsenals were viewed primarily as tools of deterrence. The logic of "mutually assured destruction" prevented direct conflict between superpowers but created a constant risk of global annihilation.

Today, the global nuclear order remains shaped by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 1970. It is one of the most widely adopted international security........

© AzerNews