Combating Iran’s “Mutually Assured Destruction” Doctrine: Lessons from History
The principle of mutually assured destruction (MAD) that emerged during the Cold War disincentivized aggression by making adversaries scared that an attack would result in total global annihilation. During the 21st century, Iran has developed an economic version, whereby its response to an existential threat is for it to induce a catastrophic contraction in the world economy. The Arabian Gulf countries can draw important lessons from historical analogues on how to counter this extreme defense doctrine.
The destruction caused by the two atomic bombs dropped by the US on Japan in 1945 had many profound consequences. One of the most important has been the development of the MAD framework: countries with nuclear weapons facing what they perceive to be an existential threat can respond with a credible threat to destroy their adversary, even if it means leaving both parties in a state of complete devastation. In principle, therefore, any prospective aggressor with a sense of self-preservation is forced to think twice before threatening to conquer a nuclear-armed state.
Omar Al-Ubaydli, Director of Studies and Research
