How Cyber Ops Increase the Risk of Accidental Nuclear War
George Perkovich and Ariel Levite | Defense One
The risk of the United States and China going to war, leading to a nuclear exchange, is growing by the day. Cyber operations by either or both countries increase the risk significantly, as each side is tempted to use cyber tools to gain warning and an early edge in a crisis.
Iran Nuclear Deal Talks Advance as U.S. Offers Sanctions Relief
Ian Talley, Benoit Faucon, and Luarence Norman | Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration has signaled it is open to easing sanctions against critical elements of Iran’s economy, including oil and finance, helping narrow differences in nuclear talks, according to people familiar with the matter. Despite the progress, senior diplomats warned that weeks of difficult negotiations over the 2015 nuclear agreement lie ahead and progress remains fragile. Talks in Vienna are complicated by domestic politics in Washington and Tehran and by Iran’s refusal to meet directly with the U.S.
Israel Says Syrian Missile Was not Aimed at Nuclear Reactor
Josef Federman | Associated Press
The Israeli military said Thursday that a Syrian missile that reached deep into Israeli territory and set off air raid sirens near the country’s top-secret nuclear reactor was the result of a misfire and not a deliberate attack. The missile landed in southern Israel early Thursday, prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes on the missile launcher and other targets in Syria. The army’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, was quoted as telling military correspondents that the Israeli air force was already operating in Syrian airspace when the anti-aircraft missile was fired. He said the projectile, identified as a Russian-made SA-5 missile, missed its target and exploded in southern Israel.
Lawmakers, Defense Officials Joust Over Next-Gen ICBM Plans
Joe Gould, Aaron Mehta, and Valerie Insinna | Defense News
The war over developing a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile ― whether it’s vital to deter Russia and China, as conservatives say, or whether existing missiles can be overhauled for less ― flared up at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Lawmakers from both parties leveled pointed questions at Pentagon officials over whether it’s worthwhile to study extending the life of the 50-year-old Minuteman III as an alternative to its $100 billion replacement program, the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.
China Reactors Will Yield Weapons-Grade Plutonium - U.S. Commander
Timothy Gardner | Reuters
A new generation of nuclear power facilities that China is developing could produce large amounts of plutonium that could be used to make nuclear weapons, the head of the U.S. Strategic Command warned lawmakers this week. China is developing fast breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities as it seeks to reduce dependence on coal, a top source of carbon emissions. But the plants also produce plutonium that could be used to make nuclear weapons. The first fast breeder reactor is projected to come on line in 2023.
After Trump ‘Failed,’ South Korean Leader Hopes Biden Can Salvage Nuclear Deal
Choe Sang-Hun | New York Times
President Moon Jae-in of South Korea has a message for the United States: President Biden needs to engage now with North Korea. In an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Moon pushed the American leader to kick-start negotiations with the government of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, after two years in which diplomatic progress stalled, even reversed. Denuclearization, the South Korean president said, was a “matter of survival” for his country.