Now that I’ve spent the last 27 years of my life working to abolish nuclear weapons, it is time to reflect.

Have my efforts been wasted? Shall I continue? Shall I give up? What will the world look like when more and more countries and terrorists have nuclear weapon options?

One day in 1995, I was in Washington, D.C., for a Peace Action National board meeting. We were discussing the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT is an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.

The NPT had entered into force in 1970, at which time it was determined that in 25 years, it would be decided whether to extend the time limit for the treaty. Peace Action National, as a non-governmental organization, had an opportunity to let our voices be heard. After a long and heated debate, we agreed to join those who wanted to extend the treaty indefinitely. And to this day in 2015, the treaty is still in force.

A total of 191 states have joined the Treaty. The five recognized nuclear weapon states include the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China. Four other states are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons: India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.

One of those 191 states who signed the NPT treaty is Iran. We have long been suspicious of their intentions. As reported in Iran Watch, we learn that:

• They have 9,000 first-generation centrifuges that theoretically could produce a single warhead in 1.7 months. And they have 1,000 more advanced centrifuges that could produce weapons-grade uranium more quickly.

• Their stockpile of low-enriched uranium could fuel about seven nuclear warheads.

• Russia has a 10-year contract to fuel Iran’s only power reactor at Bushehr, so Iran has no present need for enriched uranium to generate civilian nuclear energy.

As I write this article, the current talks between Iran, the U.S. and other world powers are believed to conclude with an agreement. Whatever the agreement, Iran still will possess the capability to produce nuclear weapons. The United States is awash with nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert and stockpiles of weapons ready to be launched. Russia evidently has withdrawn from the New Start Treaty because of the war in the Ukraine, and they have thousands of assorted nuclear weapons, both tactical and strategic. In other words, the cat is out of the bag. Every nation-state and every non-state terrorist organization wants to have the ultimate destructive weapon.

I answered my question while I composed this article. To be continued.

Sally Breen lives in Windham.