The international community cannot allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons, as a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a catastrophic threat to global security.

“Even a relatively small nuclear war would lead to a nuclear winter that would have an effect around the world of catastrophic proportions. It would affect farming all around the world. It would lead to famine. We can't allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon.”

Iran must not be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon due to its history of state-sponsored terrorism.

“you cannot allow them to have a nuclear program because they are terrorists. They're not responsible citizens in the world. They're not a responsible government in the world.”

The primary military goal is to ensure that Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon.

“They are going to win by ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.”

Nuclear deterrence strategies are unlikely to work with the Iranian regime because its religious fundamentalism and glorification of martyrdom make them a nihilistic risk.

“when it comes to Iran, the reason I think that the logic of nuclear deterrence won't work is because they are, many of them in the regime, religious fanatics. They believe they have absolute truth, and the psychology of that is very interesting. It means that anyone who doesn't subscribe to their tr”

It is rational for the world to assume Iran would use nuclear weapons if it were to acquire them.

“Every sane, rational person has to assume that Iran would develop a nuclear weapon if it could. And as President Trump has said, would probably use it.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency's authority needs to be strengthened to prevent further nuclear escalation.

“I think where the British and European energy should go are actually towards this business about the power the the authority of the international nuclear authorities the the I the international atomic energy authority. I think they need to be bolstered. They need to be strengthened.”

The post-WWII system created to prevent nuclear proliferation and world war through treaties and inspectors is currently being undermined.

“since the second world war we've been very worried about the third world war and of course in order to prevent the third world war we've been trying to prevent lots of people getting nuclear weapons and the way in which we've done that is we've created a very complicated treaty”

Diplomatic agreements are the most effective way to prevent nuclear proliferation, as demonstrated by the 2015 Iran deal.

“Had that deal been in place or had they implemented a new deal like it, we would we would have 247 surveillance of every Iranian nuclear facility, inspectors there all the time, all the assurance that we wanted that they weren't going into breakout capability.”

The original JCPOA nuclear deal effectively constrained Iran's nuclear program, and its abandonment was a major mistake that led to current regional instability.

“The deeper irony, of course, is that we never should have been in this position uh in so far as the agreement that President Obama reached, the Iran nuclear deal, the so-called JCPOA, um put Iran's nuclear program in a box.”

Verifying the end of Iran's nuclear program would require unfettered access for international inspections by the IEA.

“Yeah, ultimately it would have to be verified through international inspections led by the IEA. The IAA will need unfettered access to Iran's nuclear facilities.”

Iran is not and has never been seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

“The International Atomic Energy Agency has never indicated that Iran at any point was seeking a nuclear weapon.”

Iran has a latent nuclear capability but has consistently chosen not to develop an atomic weapon.

“what Iran has is an a latent nuclear capability. This is the same as Brazil or Japan where they've proven that they have mastered the fuel cycle. They've proven that they can enrich uranium up to whatever percent they choose of uranium 235, including they could, they never have, but they could obvio”

The claim that Iran is an immediate nuclear threat is contradicted by public US intelligence assessments.

“According to US intelligence assessments that have been made public, Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon. So, the idea that there was a nuclear threat that needed to be eliminated from Iran is contradicted by public US intel assessments.”

Iran has chosen not to develop nuclear weapons, despite having the capability to do so.

“Both of them said that Iran could have developed nuclear weapons many years ago. Iran has that ability. But it has chosen not to do so.”

A worldwide increase in countries possessing nuclear weapons makes an intentional or accidental nuclear conflict significantly more likely.

“the more countries that have weapons that just logarithmically almost multiplies the chances that someone is going to use one of those weapons either intentionally or accidentally”

The proliferation of nuclear weapons to more countries increases the risk of catastrophic failure.

“as long as they exist, they will represent this enormous enormous existential threat.”