Trump’s War on Iran Shatters Trust in Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

As diplomats gather in New York for the latest Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference, the treaty’s credibility lies in ruins. The Trump administration’s relentless war on Iran—through military escalation, crippling sanctions, cyberattacks like Stuxnet, and covert assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists—has exposed a fundamental crisis of trust that threatens the entire non-proliferation framework.

For over two decades, Iran was the world’s most closely monitored nuclear state, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) dedicating more resources to oversight in Tehran than anywhere else. Successive IAEA reports and US intelligence found no conclusive evidence of an active Iranian nuclear weapons program. Iran even agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), imposing strict limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

But the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA shattered this fragile progress. Renewed talks in 2025 and 2026 showed promise but were overshadowed by the US and Israel’s military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, intensifying sanctions, and economic blockades. These actions convinced Tehran that compliance only invites vulnerability and aggression, eroding any incentive to adhere to international rules.

Iranian officials now view the IAEA not as an impartial technical body but as a politically compromised tool influenced by Western powers. Accusations of espionage among inspectors and the discovery of alleged surveillance devices during site visits have deepened Tehran’s suspicion. The agency’s safeguards reports have been weaponized to justify sanctions and military actions, further alienating Iran.

The Trump administration’s strategy has backfired spectacularly. Rather than preventing nuclear proliferation, it has driven Iran to question the value of transparency and compliance, risking a dangerous escalation in the Middle East. This crisis of trust undermines the entire NPT regime at a moment when global nuclear stability is more precarious than ever.

The lesson is clear: aggressive military and economic coercion against a compliant state does not enhance security—it destroys the very foundations of international arms control. The Trump administration’s reckless policies have not only endangered peace in the Middle East but also jeopardized global non-proliferation efforts critical to preventing nuclear catastrophe.