The SALT II treaty, signed in 1979 between the United States and the Soviet Union, aimed to limit the number of strategic nuclear weapons each country could possess. It built upon the earlier SALT I agreement and sought to promote stability during the Cold War by capping the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Although SALT II was signed, it was never ratified by the U.S. Senate due to rising tensions following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Despite this, both nations generally adhered to the treaty's terms until the end of the Cold War.