US-Russia Nuclear Security Plummets... North Korea and Iran Rank Near the Bottom

An analysis has shown that the nuclear security conditions of the United States and Russia, the world's two major nuclear-armed states, have deteriorated significantly compared to before.

According to the 2026 Nuclear Security Index report released on the 15th (local time) by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), a U.S. think tank, the U.S. nuclear security score dropped by 10 points from 76 in the previous assessment to 66 out of 100.

This marks the largest drop among all countries surveyed since NTI began conducting the assessment.

NTI cited the weakening political independence of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) following the launch of the second Donald Trump administration as the primary reason for the score decline.

Previously, President Trump signed an executive order calling for a comprehensive reorganization and streamlining of operations at the NRC, and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut about 10 percent of NRC staff.

NTI pointed out that "a series of executive orders implemented by the White House last year undermined the political independence and oversight authority of the NRC, which has long been considered a global model for independent regulatory agencies."

Russia's nuclear security score (47 points) also fell by 7 points from the previous assessment.

According to NTI, Russia is known to have produced an additional approximately 4,000 kilograms of weapons-usable nuclear material since 2023, an amount sufficient to produce more than 300 actual nuclear weapons.

Christine E. Wormuth, President and CEO of NTI, pointed out in the foreword of the report that "a historic vacuum has emerged in the nuclear security leadership of the United States and Russia."

In the case of North Korea, its nuclear security score was evaluated at 25 out of 100, ranking at the very bottom among the 22 countries evaluated.

In particular, NTI pointed out that North Korea lacks even basic regulatory requirements to protect nuclear facilities from cyberattacks.

Iran (31 points), which has been assessed as having recently increased its stockpiles of nuclear material, also remained near the bottom at 21st place.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.