IAEA chief says nuclear stockpiles rising despite no Cold War-style arms race

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has said that nuclear arsenals worldwide are once again expanding, although he stressed the current situation does not amount to a Cold War–style arms race.

Speaking in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Le Temps, Grossi said he did not believe the world was facing “a genuine nuclear arms race comparable to that of the early 1980s”.

However, he warned that there is nonetheless “an expansion of nuclear arsenals” globally, with some states reconsidering long-standing positions on nuclear weapons. He suggested that this shift reflects growing strategic uncertainty and evolving security calculations among nuclear and non-nuclear states alike.

Grossi said these developments underline the increasing importance of strengthening international non-proliferation frameworks, noting that efforts to maintain a universal nuclear non-proliferation regime are becoming more urgent.

At the same time, he acknowledged that the prospect of meaningful nuclear disarmament remains remote under current geopolitical conditions, signalling limited optimism for near-term progress on arms reduction initiatives.

The IAEA chief’s remarks come amid broader international concern about modernisation programmes and the long-term stability of existing arms control arrangements, which have faced sustained pressure in recent years.