'85 Seconds To Midnight': How Wars, Less Nuclear Arms Control Affects 'Doomsday Clock'

2026-02-01 11:29:51

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The international structure of treaties relating to preventing nuclear weapons is“crumbling”, Karen Hallberg, a physics professor and atomic researcher, told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the World Laureate's Summit on Sunday. Major treaties are set to expire and more states are threatening the use of nuclear weapons for military expansion, she said.

One of those treaties is the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) signed between Russia and the United States, due to expire on February 4, 2026. This will have heavy implications, she said, as it would signal a move away from nuclear restraint, the first in decades.

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“This means that there can be an escalation in the number of warheads,” Hallberg said.“One of the most worrying things is that there is very little public awareness of the gravity of the situation. Before, when the situation was even much less risky, there were a million people on the streets protesting against nuclear weapons. And now we don't see this,” she said.

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Hallberg is the Secretary General of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, which in 1995 was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Joseph Rotblat. Both won for their efforts in“diminishing the part played by nuclear arms in international politics” and overall eliminating nuclear arms.

Nuclear arms escalation

Until today, nine countries possess nuclear weapons, totalling roughly 12,331 nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of Atomic Scientists, with Russia and the United States responsible for over 83 per cent of global stockpiles. However, the FAS details that the overall inventory of nuclear weapons is declining, though its pace is much slower compared with the last 30 years.

Hallberg, on the other hand, stated that there is going to be an escalation of nuclear weapons amongst countries, which will be difficult to control as more states acquire arms, claiming,“there's going to be a nuclear arms race again.”

Closer to 'Doomsday'

Earlier this week, scientists and experts at The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists turned the“Doomsday Clock”, a theoretical clock that“warns the public about how close we are to destroying our world”, to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has been to midnight in its history. The Bulletin pointed to an increase aggressive behaviour by nuclear powers, a lessening of nuclear arms control, persistent war and conflict, and AI.

Hallberg cited this clock as conveying how the situation has never been as risky as it is today.“We have never been so close to midnight in this symbolic representation of the clock,” she commented.