A zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East: A political project

The history of the Middle East Nuclear Weapon Free Zone proposal, originally advanced by Iran and Egypt in 1974, is described, as well as the extension of the concept in 1990 to include all weapons of mass destruction, and the UN Secretary General's 1990 expert report on the subject. The possible geographic scope of the Middle East for a zone purpose is discussed, concluding that such a zone should include all League of Arab States members and Israel and Iran. The elements and design of a potential treaty for a zone free of weapons of mass destruction (WMDFZ) are then considered, including a proposed definition of the concept of weapons of mass destruction, standard features and aspects of such zones, and the issue of sea areas adjacent to the zone. Finally, recent developments are analyzed, particularly the possible effects of the May 1998 Indian and Pakistani nuclear test explosions on the Middle East peace process. It is concluded that Israel, the third nuclear threshold state, will most probably not follow the South Asian example; and that the principal obstacle to progress on the WMDFZ proposal is the delay in implementing the peace process.