ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF MIDDLE EAST NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONE IN THE AFTERMATH OF ISRAEL-IRAN WAR (2025)

This paper critically examines the prospects of a Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (MENWFZ) in the aftermath of the 2025 Israel–Iran war. It situates the debate within the broader trajectory of regional disarmament initiatives since 1974, the logic of deterrence theory, and the impact of asymmetric conflict dynamics on non proliferation. Employing a qualitative, analytical methodology grounded in secondary sources, the paper operationalises existing scholarship to assess the zone’s viability. The analysis argues that while the strategic efficacy of a MENWFZ has never been clearer, given the risks exposed by the war, its feasibility has rarely been lower. Israel’s entrenched opacity, Iran’s recalibrated bargaining posture, deepened mistrust, and fractured great-power alignments collectively constrain the space for consensus. By examining both historical precedents and post-war developments, the paper concludes that a MENWFZ remains less a practical roadmap than a normative anchor, the viability of which depends on a fundamental reconfiguration of regional security logics.