Revisiting nuclear hedging: ballistic missiles and the Iranian example

Article
International Affairs_Hiim article.PNG
Themes
Defence  Security policy  Conflict  The Middle East and North Africa
Written by

Henrik Stålhane Hiim

Former employee

Summary:

Technological shifts have made nascent nuclear arsenals more vulnerable. In this article, Henrik Stålhane Hiim argues that this provides “nuclear hedgers” – states that deliberately seeking to develop the ability to go nuclear – with strong incentives to acquiring ballistic missiles. The article illustrates this tendency through a case-study of the Iranian missile and rocket programs. It finds that missile acquisition has indeed been an integral part of Iran's hedging strategy, and that several of the systems it has acquired indicate an interest in nuclear weapons delivery.

  • Published year: 2022
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiac103
  • Language: English
  • Journal: International Affairs
  • URL 1: https://academic.oup.com/ia/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ia/iiac103/6596545
  • URL 3: