abstract:A strategic nuclear weapon refers to a nuclear weapon which is designed to be used on targets as part of a strategic plan, such as nuclear missile bases, military command centers and heavily populated civilian areas such as large towns and cities.
Documentsshow that after the Soviet Uniondisintegrated, Russiainheritedmore than 2,000 strategicnuclearweaponcarrier vehiclesandmore than 10,000 nuclear warheads.
"I think that the biggest strategic threat to the United States faces today is the possibility of another 9/11 with a nuclear weapon or a biological agent of some kind."
VOA: standard.2010.02.14
Nonetheless, the strategy to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear-weapon capability must include a Strategic Strike Plan (SSP), which could be executed on short notice.
Because -- and I think your question reflects this -- the best way to ensure that Iran does not acquire a nuclearweapon is for this course of action, to work, and for Iran to make the strategic decision to forsake its nuclear weapons ambitions and to fulfill its international obligations.