Warren Buffett is concerned about weapons of mass destruction, and this time he is not referring to unregulated derivatives.
Buffett: A dangerous world becomes even more dangerous with a nuclear Iran
In a CNBC interview today, Warren Buffett said in no uncertain terms that if Iran should not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon. “A world with Iran having a nuclear bomb is way more dangerous than the world today, and today is a dangerous world.”
Among the key concerns regarding Iran getting a nuclear weapon is how it is likely to trigger nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Citing Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, CNBC’s Becky Quick noted the different dynamic of having seven countries in the volatile Middle East all with nuclear weapons was very different that the cold war, where both the U.S. and Russia understood and feared a nuclear war. If countries throughout the Middle East possessed nuclear weapons, the first person to use the weapons might be considered the winner, was an observation.
If Iran were to get a nuclear weapon, “every country in the Middle East will gear up to get nuclear,” Warren Buffett said, and this “makes the chances of something happening much higher.”
Image: CNBC Screen Grab
Iranian negotiations stuck on three issues
Quick noted three primary issues holding up the negotiations: Iran wants sanctions lifted, but they appear unwilling to accept much oversight over their nuclear development programs and are not willing to give up the Uranium they have already enriched.
“You would like to lift the sanctions because you want assurances that Iran does not have a bomb or is close to having a bomb,” Warren Buffett said. “It is important for the world that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon or the ability to develop one in a very short period.”
A keen negotiator himself, Warren Buffett knows the game of chicken that often takes place in high stakes poker games. “Deals will be made at the last minute, so who knows who will cave,” he quipped.
Warren Buffett : Give up sanctions only if completely assured Iran does not have or cannot quickly build a bomb
The issue of nuclear proliferation has been a concern “since 1945” when he delivered a newspaper that reported on the Hiroshima nuclear attack. Warren Buffett donated $50 million to the Nuclear Strategic Initiative, which provides uranium to countries for peaceful purposes and monitors its usage, taking away the excuse for countries for Iran to stockpile uranium.
“The bad guys have the edge,” he said, noting that it wouldn’t bother him if the U.S. give up sanctions if we conclusively sure Iran was not going to have a bomb or have the ability to build one in a matter of months.
The post Warren Buffett Warns About A Nuclear Iran appeared first on ValueWalk.
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