A World Free of Nuclear Weapons: New Reflections on Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East

The idea of establishing a Weapons of Mass Destruction or Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in the Middle East is not new; it dates back to 1970s. However, the security landscape of the Middle East today has compelled most analysts to look at the idea and the concept anew. This paper briefly explains the legal framework of general and complete nuclear disarmament, historical obstacles, and new hopes inspired by the new US president’s approach to disarmament, and the pioneer role that the United States and Russia should play for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The paper suggests that establishment of a nuclear weapon free zone is not only a constructive step in promoting nonproliferation, but also a measure, which if taken collectively, will create such political conditions in the world as a result of which nuclear-weapon states will find the idea of a world free from nuclear weapons plausible.