The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated on Monday that nuclear-armed countries are increasing their nuclear arsenals in response to multiple conflicts around the world.

According to a new report published by SIPRI, the number of operational nuclear warheads is continuously increasing.

Dan Smith, the Executive Director of SIPRI, said, "While the total number of nuclear warheads worldwide is decreasing as Cold War-era weapons are gradually dismantled, it is unfortunate that we continue to see annual increases in the number of operational nuclear warheads."

He continued, "It seems likely that this trend will continue and may accelerate in the coming years, which is very concerning."

The report indicated that the number of nuclear weapons under development is also on the rise, as countries rely on nuclear deterrence.

According to the report, nearly 9,585 warheads, out of about 12,121 warheads recorded globally in January, are part of military stockpiles for potential use.

The report noted that approximately 3,904 of these warheads are deployed on missiles and aircraft—60 more than in the same month last year. According to the report, the remainder is kept in central storage facilities.

The report pointed out that for decades, the global number of nuclear weapons has been on a steady decline. However, this decrease is primarily due to the fact that warheads being dismantled are being gradually retired by Russia and the United States in the aftermath of the Cold War.

This means that peace researchers are monitoring not only the estimated total stockpiles but also the deployable arsenals. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, nine countries possess nuclear weapons: in addition to Russia and the United States, these countries are China, France, Britain, as well as Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.