U.S. and Iran Zero In on Four Nuclear Issues in Talks

David E. Sanger | The New York Times

In the days before the latest flare-ups of violence in the Middle East, President Trump’s aides were negotiating with Tehran on four major elements of a nuclear agreement that U.S. officials contend would grind the program to a halt for 15 years or so. The negotiations, according to U.S. officials and diplomats who have been briefed on the confidential talks, have gone considerably beyond discussion about reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which the Iranians have all but shut down for 101 days.

North Korea’s Uranium Enrichment Capacity Could Soon Expand by 75%, Analysis Says

Timothy W. Martin | The Wall Street Journal

North Korea’s uranium-enrichment capacity could soon expand by 75% once a new facility reaches full production, a clear signal that leader Kim Jong Un intends to expand his arsenal in defiance of international pressure… The new facility will be North Korea’s largest publicly known uranium enrichment site upon completion. The massive expansion shows Kim plans to greatly expand a nuclear program that has defied pressure from great powers such as the U.S. and China and has rattled its neighbors in Asia.

UN nuclear watchdog board demands urgent Iran cooperation and access to nuclear sites

Stephanie Liechtenstein | Associated Press

The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board on Wednesday demanded that Iran fully cooperate with the agency, provide complete information about its stockpile of near weapons-grade nuclear material and grant its inspectors access to Iranian nuclear sites. A resolution passed by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s board also said that giving information and access are “essential and urgent” in order to enable verification that there’s no “diversion of nuclear material.”

Reactor reboot at world’s largest nuclear plant highlights flaws in Japan’s radioactive waste plans

Mari Yamaguchi | Associated Press

Japan has resumed operations at the world’s largest nuclear power plant to help the country meet huge electricity demands during a global oil crisis, but the reboot highlights a big problem: Japan is running out of space for spent nuclear fuel and has no viable plans for permanent disposal of the radioactive waste.

DOE unveils roadmap to develop fusion for electricity

Christa Marshall | E&E News

The Department of Energy released a fusion road map Tuesday to expedite development of a technology viewed by the Trump administration as an important player in the future electricity mix. DOE’s final fusion strategy, which involved the input of more than 800 scientists and engineers, outlines infrastructure needed to commercialize the technology within the next decade and sets detailed timelines for the department to reach milestones.

Increasing focus on nuclear weapons amid heightened escalation risks—new SIPRI Yearbook out now

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)… launches its annual assessment of the state of armaments, disarmament and international security. Key findings of SIPRI Yearbook 2026 are that states are increasingly relying on nuclear weapons as instruments of national power—reversing decades of efforts to reduce the numbers and role of nuclear weapons—even as the risks of miscalculation and escalation are rising.