00:00The world is entering a dangerous nuclear era. This week, the last nuclear arms control treaty
00:25between the United States and Russia expires. With it goes the final set of rules limiting
00:33the world's two largest nuclear arsenals. For the first time since the Cold War, there
00:40will be no caps, no inspections, no verification. New START was the last treaty limiting strategic
00:50nuclear warheads and missiles. Signed in 2010, it required sharing information and on-site
00:59checks between Washington and Moscow. That helped reduce risk and made global nuclear
01:06postures more predictable. Now it is collapsing. Russia has suspended participation and both
01:15sides refuse New Deal negotiations. The United States and Russia together hold nearly 90%
01:24of the world's nuclear weapons and without any rules, they are free to build and deploy more.
01:32So the big question arises. If the United States attacks Iran, could Russia retaliate even against
01:40the U.S.? The short answer from experts is, there is no direct indication Russia would launch
01:48a nuclear attack on the U.S. But without trust, transparency or treaty guarantees, global risk
01:57and misunderstanding could skyrocket. Experience from past analysis shows that when strategic limits
02:05disappear, decision-makers tend to plan for worst-case scenarios, not peaceful outcomes. The lack
02:13of limits can make nations more prone to assume hostile intent. An attack on Iran, a country already at the
02:23center of nuclear and regional tensions, could force Russia to respond in a range of ways. Military support
02:31or sanctions could escalate diplomatic strain. Russia might boost its own military postures to signal
02:40deterrence, not attacks. Experts emphasize that nuclear strikes are an extreme last resort, especially when
02:49mutual assured destruction remains a factor. The risk is not so much direct disaster, but miscalculation, accident, or a
03:00cycle of escalation. In a world without treaty guardrails, all sides must trustlessly guess at intentions, which
03:10is dangerous. Global leaders, including the United Nations, have warned that this is the most serious nuclear
03:18moment in decades. The Pope and other world figures have called for urgent action to avert a new arms race. The
03:29the bottom line. The expiry of the U.S.-Russia treaty does not mean Russia will attack the United States if
03:38the U.S. attacks Iran, but it does mean the world has fewer safeguards to prevent escalation if regional
03:46conflicts, like a U.S. action against Iran, spread beyond control. The rules have changed, and the calculus is no
03:56longer clear, making every conflict more dangerous than before.
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