Warren Buffett warned that nuclear proliferation was making the world more dangerous and said the prospect of Iran acquiring a bomb would increase the risk of a catastrophic conflict.
The Berkshire Hathaway The Chairman said the growing number of nuclear-armed states has fundamentally changed the global risk landscape and reinforced concerns about nuclear proliferation that he has expressed for decades.
“Now you have … nine countries,” Buffett said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. “When there were two of us, we were very worried about it.
Buffett particularly pointed to the increasing geopolitical tensions between Iran and North Korea, suggesting that the potential presence of nuclear weapons in these regions significantly increases the risks.
“Just think of how you would feel if North Korea had it and Iran wanted to get it,” he said. “The most dangerous thing is actually someone who has their hand on the switch, is dying or is facing enormous embarrassment. … I don’t know the answer to that, but I do know that … it will be more difficult if Iran has the bomb than if it doesn’t have it.”
The 95-year-old investor has long warned that the spread of nuclear capabilities increases the likelihood of a worst-case scenario. When asked what advice he would give a U.S. president on enriched uranium, Buffett struck a fatalistic tone about the long-term trajectory.
“I would say either way… in the next 100 years – maybe it’s 200 years, who knows – something will happen that will cause it to be used,” he said. “And we can’t take what’s out there now.”
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