State ability to develop nuclear weapons
Nuclear latency or a nuclear threshold state is the condition of a country possessing all the technology, expertise and infrastructure needed to quickly develop nuclear weapons , without having actually yet done so.[ 1] Japan is considered a "paranuclear" state, with complete technical prowess to develop a nuclear weapon quickly,[ 2] [ 3] and is sometimes called being 'one screwdriver's turn" from the bomb, as it is considered to have the materials and technical capacity to make a nuclear weapon at will.[ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9]
Alongside Japan, Iran is also considered a nuclear threshold state,[ 10] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13] and has been described being "a hop, skip, and a jump away" from developing nuclear weapons,[ 14] [ 15] [ 16] with its advanced nuclear program capable of producing fissile material for a bomb in a matter of days if weaponized.[ 17] [ 18] [ 19] Other most notable nuclear threshold states are Canada , Germany , the Netherlands and Australia .[ 20] [ 21]
^ Panofsky, Wolfgang K. H. (June 14, 2007). "Capability versus intent: The latent threat of nuclear proliferation" . The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Archived from the original on 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2009-08-04 .
^ Cole, Juan (2009-10-07). "Does Iran really want the bomb? Perhaps what Iran wants is the ability to produce a nuclear weapon fast, rather than have a standing arsenal" . Salon . Archived from the original on 2009-10-11. Retrieved 2009-10-07 .
^ "Hypothesis: Iran Seeks the 'Japan Option' " . Slate. 2009-10-07. Archived from the original on 2009-10-11.
^ Demetriou, Danielle (20 April 2009). "Japan 'should develop nuclear weapons' to counter North Korea threat" . The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2010 .
^ Sakamaki, Sachiko (28 May 2009). "North Korean Atomic Tests Lift Lid on Japan's Nuclear 'Taboo' " . Bloomberg . Archived from the original on 16 September 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2010 .
^ John H. Large (May 2, 2005). "THE ACTUAL AND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY IN THE AREA OF NORTH EAST ASIA (KOREAN PENINSULAR AND JAPAN)" (PDF) . R3126-A1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-07-10.
^ "Nuclear Scholars Initiative 2010: Recap of Seminar Four" . CSIS. Archived from the original on 7 August 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010 .
^ Brumfiel, Geoff (November 2004). "Nuclear proliferation special: We have the technology" . Nature . 432-437. 432 (7016): 432–7. Bibcode :2004Natur.432..432B . doi :10.1038/432432a . PMID 15565123 . S2CID 4354223 .
^ Chester Dawson (28 October 2011). "In Japan, Provocative Case for Staying Nuclear" . Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2011 .
^ Azodi, Sina (2024-07-24). "Iran's Nuclear Crisis Has No Military Solution" . Foreign Policy . Retrieved 2024-07-10 .
^ Sonnenfeld, Jeffrey; Boehler, Adam (2023-12-09). "Amid the Israel-Hamas War, Iran Marches Towards Nuclear Breakout" . TIME . Retrieved 2024-07-10 .
^ Brewer, Eric (2024-06-25). "Iran's New Nuclear Threat" . Foreign Affairs . ISSN 0015-7120 . Retrieved 2024-07-10 .
^ "The Hunt: Iran just days away from becoming a nuclear power" . WTOP News . 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2024-06-04 .
^ Centre for Independent Studies (2024-05-17). Why Israel is in deep trouble: John Mearsheimer with Tom Switzer . Retrieved 2024-07-10 – via YouTube.
^ Walt, Stephen M. (2024-06-05). "The Day After Iran Gets the Bomb" . Foreign Policy . Retrieved 2024-06-04 .
^ "Iran Could Make Fuel for Nuclear Bomb in Less Than 2 Weeks, Milley Says" . Voice of America . 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2024-06-04 .
^ Hansler, Jennifer (2023-02-28). "Top US Defense official says Iran could produce 'one bomb's worth of fissile material' in 'about 12 days' | CNN Politics" . CNN . Retrieved 2024-07-10 .
^ "Iran Could Make Fuel for Nuclear Bomb in Less Than 2 Weeks, Milley Says" . Voice of America . 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2024-07-10 .
^ "Iran puts its nuclear programme beyond the reach of American bombs" . The Economist . ISSN 0013-0613 . Retrieved 2024-07-10 .
^ "Nuclear Weapons Archive, 7.5 nuclear capable states" .
^ Raymond, Camille (2021-12-15). "Canada's Role in the New Nuclear Landscape" . Network for Strategic Analysis (NSA) . Retrieved 2024-07-10 .