Don't abandon the US-UK nuclear relationship 

Jamie Kwong | Defense One 

Britain’s special relationship with the United States is on shaky ground. These brewing tensions raise the question of whether London should—and if it could—reduce its reliance on Washington. And perhaps nowhere is this reliance heavier than nuclear deterrence, as Britain depends on American Trident missiles to equip its nuclear-armed submarines. An underexamined—and underappreciated—aspect of this nuclear relationship, however, is how the United States benefits, too... Preserving and protecting the nuclear relationship therefore remains firmly in the interest of both countries. 

UN nuclear chief says inspectors will visit Iran sites as part of war deal 

David Gritten | BBC News 

The head of the global nuclear watchdog has said it will carry out inspections in Iran under the country's preliminary peace agreement with the US. "The inspections will indeed take place," International Atomic Energy Agency director general Rafael Grossi told reporters in Japan. "We will be working on the modalities - dates, procedures, places - very soon."... However, Iran's deputy foreign minister said access to its damaged nuclear facilities and nuclear material would only be addressed within the framework of a final deal with the US.  

Kim Jong Un signals nuclear ambitions at sea with major naval buildup 

Stella Kim and Mithil Aggarwal | NBC News 

North Korea has entered a new era of naval power that will project its nuclear capabilities, Kim Jong Un said Tuesday, as he unveiled a 5,000-ton destroyer and vowed to build even larger warships each year. The destroyer, named Choe Hyon, signals Kim’s efforts to expand Pyongyang’s military might at sea alongside the long-standing focus on his reclusive regime’s missile arsenal... The Choe Hyon destroyer, first unveiled in April last year, is equipped with anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapons and can carry nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missiles, KCNA said. 

Energy Dept. Unveils $17.5 Billion Plan to Kick-Start New Nuclear Plants 

Brad Plumer | The New York Times 

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced a plan for billions of dollars in federal loans aimed at spurring the country’s largest build-out of nuclear power plants in more than three decades. The complex and unusual strategy, which would be overseen by the Energy Department, would provide up to $17.5 billion in low-cost loans to help electric utilities buy expensive components that could be used in up to 10 new AP1000 nuclear reactors, a large type of reactor designed by Westinghouse.  

Europe's heatwave curbs French nuclear plants 

Forrest Crellin and Hugo Lhomedet | Reuters/Yahoo 

A heatwave sweeping western Europe reduced France's nuclear output on Wednesday as high temperatures across the country reduced access to water needed to cool reactors. Output was reduced by 4.1 gigawatts, or 7%, of total power demand at midday, data from French ‌utility EDF showed... French environmental regulations force nuclear operator EDF to reduce output when river temperatures reach a certain threshold to protect local ecosystems. 

What Is Iran’s Nuclear Status Quo? 

Sahil V. Shah | Foreign Policy 

The memorandum of understanding that the United States and Iran signed last week has been read in Washington as either a historic victory or a surrender... Making any further diplomatic headway will require first and foremost reaching a joint understanding on the current status of Iran’s nuclear program. Without that, the memorandum’s central promise—to freeze Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for economic relief while negotiating a final deal—is impossible to verify and easy for either side to contest.