On whether the deal could trigger nuclear competition in West Asia, Sanders offered a nuanced take. Israel, he noted, is widely believed to already possess nuclear weapons, though it “maintains strategic ambiguity” — never confirming or denying the fact. Iran’s program remains at the centre of the current US-Iran crisis; while Tehran insists its ambitions are peaceful and it remains a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory, it has continued secret uranium enrichment and restricted inspector access, he said.
