According to El-Baradei, the next wave of proliferation would involve about 20 "virtual nuclear weapons states", which can produce plutonium or highly enriched uranium and possess the knowhow to make warheads, but stop short of assembling a weapon.

They would therefore remain technically compliant with the NPT while being within a couple of months of deploying and using a nuclear weapon.

People in the Middle East are repressed by their own governments and feeling unjustly treated by the outside world. This combination makes this region a ticking bomb.

No country boldly talks about the 27,000 warheads that the world possesses. Out of these, 95% are in Russia and the U.S. Is it unfair that two nations can amass and monopolise nuclear terrorism. If they are sincere, they must come forward and cut the arsenals to 1,000 each, or even 500. Then urge the world to ban nuclear weapons.

Palkodimir from India