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Iran Claims "Technical Ability to Build a Nuclear Bomb"

IN THIS ISSUE: Iran Claims "Technical Ability to Build a Nuclear Bomb", EU: End of Iran Nuclear Talks Near but May Not Yield Deal, The US Navy May Keep its Older Nuclear Missile Subs in the Water for Longer as the Cost of its New Missile Sub Balloons, Germany Leaves Door Open for Extending Nuclear Power Use Amid Energy Crisis, Remembering Michael Krepon

Published on July 14, 2022

Iran Claims "Technical Ability to Build a Nuclear Bomb"

CBS News

Iran has the technical capacity to build a nuclear weapon but has not taken a decision to do so, an official told the Al Jazeera broadcaster on Sunday. Iran "has the technical ability to build a nuclear bomb" said Kamal Kharrazi, who heads an advisory board linked to Iran's leadership. But Tehran has "not made a decision to build an atomic bomb," he added. The comments come after U.S. President Joe Biden visited the Middle East this week and signed a security pact with Israel vowing to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It also comes as efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers remain stalled.

EU: End of Iran Nuclear Talks Near but May Not Yield Deal

Robin Emmott | Reuters 

Negotiations to bring Iran back into compliance with a landmark 2015 nuclear accord are coming to an end, but it is not clear if they will result in an agreement between Tehran and world powers, a senior EU official said on Friday.

The US Navy May Keep its Older Nuclear Missile Subs in the Water for Longer as the Cost of its New Missile Sub Balloons

Benjamin Brimelow | Business Insider

On June 4, the US Navy laid the keel for USS District of Columbia, the first of its new Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, at an Electric Boat facility in Quonset Point, Rhode Island. The high-profile event was attended by both Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander of US Fleet Forces Command, and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, who said the Columbia class "will be the cornerstone of our strategic deterrence" and "the ultimate guarantor of our national security."

Germany Leaves Door Open for Extending Nuclear Power Use Amid Energy Crisis

Hans Von Der Burchard | Politico 

The German government on Monday indicated a potential shift on shutting off the country's three remaining nuclear power plants by year's end, saying Berlin would analyze whether leaving those facilities running longer could help boost energy security. A spokesperson for the economy and climate protection ministry told reporters in Berlin that the government had tasked energy providers with running a stress test for Germany's electric grid to determine whether power supplies could be guaranteed this winter, even if there are severe disruptions such as Russia cutting off its supplies of gas, which are partly used for generating energy in Germany.

Remembering Michael Krepon

Stimson Center

Our community is deeply saddened at the passing of Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Stimson Center and a tireless advocate for international peace and security. Michael was an internationally renowned leader in the fight to prevent nuclear war and an eloquent advocate for pragmatic ways to reduce the threat that nuclear weapons pose to our civilization. For those who had the benefit of knowing him, he was a friend and mentor, a voice of conscience and kindness, and a stalwart advocate for the organization that has continued his legacy of leadership.

 Striking Asymmetries: Nuclear Transitions in Southern Asia

Ashley J. Tellis | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The competitive and often antagonistic relationships among China, India, and Pakistan have roots that predate their possession of nuclear weaponry. Yet the significant transformation of the nuclear capabilities that is now underway in all three countries simultaneously complicates and mitigates their geopolitical rivalries.

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.