Regarding “this post”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/2131/label-nuclear-weapon-state from yesterday, a reader notes that “threshold state” is the best term for a state like Iran. I tend to agree…I wasn’t thinking too much about a proper term, so I’m glad for the advice.

Additionally, Stephen Schwartz weighed in with a “comment”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/2131/label-nuclear-weapon-state in which he cited “this piece”:http://cns.miis.edu/npr/pdfs/npr_17-1_hymans.pdf from the NPR. That article reminded me that former IAEA DG ElBaradei used the term “virtual nuclear-weapon state” – the same term that “ISIS used”:http://cns.miis.edu/npr/pdfs/npr_17-1_hymans.pdf – way back when.

I would note that a term like “de facto nuclear-weapon state” is, in my view, best suited for a state like India, which has nuclear weapons but isn’t a recognized nuclear-weapon state by the NPT.