nuclear threshold

British  

noun

1. the point in war at which a combatant brings nuclear weapons into use

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Example Sentences

Such statements have raised alarm among Western diplomats, who fear Iran is edging closer to becoming a nuclear threshold state.

From BBC

Today, Iran sits at the nuclear threshold.

From Los Angeles Times

Similarly, Ehud Barak, a former Netanyahu defence minister turned political critic, described Iran as "marching confidently towards becoming a de facto nuclear threshold state".

From Reuters

The strategy required a reassessment of U.S. air defense capabilities to be able to deter and defeat air and missile threats “below the nuclear threshold,” including small, covertly launched drones, cruise missiles fired from submarines or aircraft and hypersonic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles.

From Washington Times

"They might not see it as crossing this big nuclear threshold," says Dr Patricia Lewis, head of the international security programme at the Chatham House think tank.

From BBC