Why was nuclear proliferation considered especially dangerous in politically unstable regions?

In the context of military nuclear strategy, nuclear proliferation in politically unstable regions is considered dangerous primarily because these nations often lack the sophisticated command-and-control systems that were essential for minimizing the risks of accidents and unauthorized launches during the Cold War.1

The concerns regarding proliferation in such environments include:

• Lack of Safeguards: Unlike the established nuclear powers, developing or unstable states may not possess the elaborate infrastructure required to ensure the security of their nuclear arsenals, raising the risk of accidental or unauthorized use.12
• Heightened Conflict Risks: In regions where states have long-standing, intractable rivalries—such as the Asian subcontinent—the presence of nuclear weapons can increase the risk of catastrophic escalation during conventional military crises.132
• Asymmetrical Threats: There is a significant fear that nuclear technology or materials could be diverted to non-state actors or terrorist organizations, potentially leading to acts of superterrorism.132
• Strategic Unpredictability: Unlike the stable, bipolar deterrence of the Cold War, the spread of nuclear weapons to multiple, smaller, or less-aligned powers creates a more complex international system where traditional deterrence logic may not apply.324