nuclear diplomacy

Nuclear diplomacy is the conduct of international relations shaped by nuclear weapons—their possession, development, limitation, or threat of use.

It encompasses arms control negotiations, nonproliferation efforts, and the strategic calculations that nuclear-armed states make when dealing with each other: Nuclear diplomacy between the superpowers defined the Cold War era.

The term also describes attempts to prevent nuclear proliferation through diplomatic pressure: The administration pursued nuclear diplomacy with Iran rather than military options.