Edition

Proliferation News 8/19/25

IN THIS ISSUE: The Missile Technology Control Regime: Case Study of a Multilateral Negotiation, Iran says it will continue talks with IAEA after curbing access, S. Korea to devise 'phased denuclearization' strategy for N. Korea: FM Cho, Google, Kairos Power plan advanced nuclear plant for Tennessee Valley Authority grid by 2030, Scientists propose turning nuclear waste into potentially safer nuclear fuel, Response: How to Survive the New Nuclear Age: Debating U.S. Nuclear Strategy.

Published on August 19, 2025

Richard H. Speier and Vann H. van Diepen | Carnegie Endowment  

In 1995, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace collaborated through a grant to Richard Speier, at the time a recently departed Defense Department missile nonproliferation action officer. This grant allowed him to write his first-hand account of the 1982–1987 negotiations over the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). The resulting paper has not been available outside of its limited original printing ... Beyond providing important historical insights and clarity into what remains a secretive regime bound by strict confidentiality, the paper provides valuable lessons for today and the future. 

Reuters/Yahoo  

Iran will continue talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog and the two sides will probably have another round of negotiations in the coming days, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told state media on Monday. International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors have been unable to access Iran's nuclear sites since Israel and the U.S. bombed them during a 12-day war in June, despite IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stating that inspections remain his top priority. 

Kim Seung-yeon | Yonhap News 

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Monday that South Korea will craft a "phased denuclearization" strategy for North Korea, moving in sequence from "freeze to reduction to dismantlement," and seek inter-Korean dialogue in parallel with nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington. Cho made the remarks at the start of a parliamentary session on foreign affairs and unification issues, stressing that these plans will be carried out in close coordination with the United States. 

Spencer Kimball | CNBC 

Alphabet’s Google and Kairos Power will deploy an advanced nuclear plant connected to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s electric grid by 2030, the companies announced Monday. TVA has agreed to purchase up to 50 megawatts of power from Kairos’ Hermes 2 reactor. It is the first utility in the U.S. to sign a power purchase agreement with an advanced reactor like Hermes 2. 

Julia Jacobo | ABC News 

Although nuclear fission, which powers nuclear reactors, can provide plenty of energy, it also produces potentially dangerous radioactive waste as a by-product. Commercial fusion, which is in the early stages of development, requires a very rare, very expensive form of hydrogen known as tritium. Researchers believe they have discovered a new way to manufacture tritium by using the thousands of tons of nuclear waste currently being stored in the U.S. 

Robert L. Gallucci; Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi | Foreign Affairs 

In their article “How to Survive the New Nuclear Age” (July/August 2025), Vipin Narang and Pranay Vaddi conclude that to deal with this new landscape, Washington “needs a more flexible and robust arsenal not to fight a nuclear war but to prevent its outbreak.”... It is certainly reasonable to reconsider the size, shape, and purpose of the U.S. strategic nuclear weapons arsenal as the character and magnitude of the threat from adversaries evolves and grows. But any reevaluation must take into account adversaries’ likely reactions to it. 

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.