Thinking the Other Unthinkable: Disarmament in North Korea and Beyond
Toby Dalton and George Perkovich| Center for Global Security Research, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Neither the governments attempting to negotiate with North Korea, nor the drafters of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, define what verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons and associated infrastructure would entail, whether in one country or in all. What model for nuclear disarmament might a nuclear-armed state demand of its adversaries and accept for itself? If states were to commit to dismantle their nuclear arsenals, what would be the key benchmarks for assessing the progressive implementation of such a commitment?
Key House Democrats Want to Lock in New START Weapons Limits
Joe Gould| Defense News
The chairmen of the House foreign affairs and intelligence committees are pushing a measure meant to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control agreement amid fears President Donald Trump will let it lapse. Led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., the proposal would require congressional approval to increase the nuclear arsenal above the limits of the 2010 New START treaty, if the pact is allowed to expire next year.
Atomic Anniversary Brings U.S. Nuclear Official to New Mexico
Susan Montoya Bryan| Associated Press
The 2030 deadline set by the U.S. government to resume and ramp up production of the plutonium cores used in the nation’s nuclear arsenal is nothing short of challenging, but the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration said Wednesday she’s confident her agency can do it. Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty spoke with The Associated Press during a stop in New Mexico. The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Trinity Test, which marked the world’s first atomic explosion.
N. Korea Lashes Out at Pompeo Over Anti-China Remarks
Yonhap News Agency
North Korea on Wednesday lashed out at U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his recent anti-China remarks, warning against interfering with affairs of other countries and "muddling up" public opinion. Earlier this week, Pompeo said that China's maritime claims to resources in the South China Sea are "unlawful" and criticized the Communist Party of China (CPC) for bullying countries in the region.
Explosion at Natanz: Why Sabotaging Iran’s Nuclear Program Could Backfire
Mahsa Rouhi | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
An explosion and fire at a workshop at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility on July 2, which destroyed the better part of an entire building, was followed by a flurry of speculation about the cause. Perhaps a domestic dissident group had planted a bomb, a foreign government had conducted a cyberattack, or an underground gas pipeline simply exploded by accident. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization announced on July 5 that it had determined the cause, but was withholding that information because of “security considerations.” Still, there is mounting circumstantial evidence that Israel and the United States were involved in what was a deliberate act of sabotage.
UAE Completes Construction of Barakah 2
World Nuclear News
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has completed the construction of unit 2 of the Barakah nuclear power plant. The unit, which is in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, has been officially handed over to ENEC subsidiary Nawah Energy Company, which can now start preparations to obtain an operating licence for the unit from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation.