WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- A comprehensive and well detailed report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, released last week, sheds a pile of information on the state of nuclear proliferation in one of the world's most volatile regions -- the Middle East.

Indeed, as John Chipman, director general and chief executive of IISS, points out in a publication entitled "Nuclear Programs in the Middle East: in the Shadow of Iran," the worrying factor lies in the sudden awakening of several Middle Eastern countries that, now feeling threatened by Iran, see the urge to jump onto the nuclear bandwagon.

"In the span of the 11 months between February 2006 and January 2007, at least 13 countries in the Middle East announced new or revived plans to pursue or explore civilian nuclear energy," said Chipman.

As the IISS director pointed out, this sudden interest by Middle Eastern countries in nuclear energy is "remarkable" in view of the region's abundance of traditional energy sources -- such as natural gas and crude oil.

With the exception of Israel, in the rest of the region, from Morocco in North Africa to the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula, "There is not a single nuclear power plant in operation today," said Chipman.