U.S., Israel to Discuss Military Drills for Iran Scenario
Phil Stewart | Reuters
U.S. and Israeli defense chiefs are expected on Thursday to discuss possible military exercises that would prepare for a worst-case scenario to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities should diplomacy fail and if their nations’ leaders request it, a senior U.S. official told Reuters. The scheduled U.S. talks with visiting Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz follow an Oct. 25 briefing by Pentagon leaders to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on the full set of military options available to ensure that Iran would not be able to produce a nuclear weapon, the official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
US Spooks Allies by Seeking Ways to Clarify Nuclear Weapons Posture
Demetri Sevastopulo | Financial Times
The Biden administration is considering ways to provide more clarity on the circumstances in which Washington would use nuclear weapons, sparking concerns from European and Asian allies that any clarification would weaken US nuclear deterrence against Russia and China. In recent consultations over the nuclear posture review that Washington is conducting, US officials have reassured allies in Europe and Asia that Joe Biden would not adopt a “no first use” policy for nuclear weapons, according to officials from allied capitals and experts familiar with the talks.
U.S. Moves to Tighten Iran Sanctions Enforcement as Nuclear Talks Stall
Laurence Norman | Wall Street Journal
The Biden administration is moving to tighten enforcement of sanctions against Iran, according to senior U.S. officials, the first sign of Washington increasing economic pressure on Tehran as diplomatic efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear deal falter. According to senior State and Treasury Department officials, the U.S. will send a top-level delegation, including the head of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, Andrea Gacki, next week to the United Arab Emirates. The U.A.E. is a top U.S. ally but also Iran’s second-largest trade partner and a conduit for Iran’s trade and financial transactions with other countries.
Israel Opposed the Iran Nuclear Deal, but Former Israeli Officials Increasingly Say U.S. Pullout Was a Mistake
Shira Rubin | Washington Post
A growing number of former Israeli security officials are publicly faulting their government for opposing a nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 between Iran and world powers, and warning that economic sanctions on Iran are not deterring it from dangerously advancing its nuclear program. While Israel had applauded President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the accord in 2018, these former officials have concluded that his “maximum pressure” policy built primarily on sanctions has failed to prevent Iran from increasing the quantity and quality of its enriched uranium.
Seoul Admits It’s Talking to Pyongyang on Declaration
Kang Tae-Hwa and Sarah Kim | Korea JoongAng Daily
Seoul has been communicating directly with both Pyongyang and the United States on a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War, according to a Blue House official. A high-ranking Blue House official told the JoongAng Ilbo Wednesday, “South Korea and the United States are in the final stage of coordination over the text for an end-of-war declaration, but it is not completed and still in progress.” The official added, “During the coordination process between South Korea and the United States over the declaration’s text, we have continued to communicate with North Korea.” This was the first time the Blue House confirmed that a private communication channel with North Korea is being used.
New German Defense Minister Takes Office, as Allies Await Answers on Spending, Nukes
Sebastian Sprenger | Defense News
Social Democrat Christine Lambrecht took over as Germany’s new defense minister on Wednesday, as allies await specifics about Berlin’s stance regarding issues from military spending to nuclear weapons. Lambrecht’s appointment to the Cabinet of Chancellor Olaf Scholz, also a Social Democrat, comes weeks after a coalition agreement with the Free Democratic Party and the Green Party signaled continuity on major questions about German defense and foreign policy. But that pact, aimed largely at the respective party bases and their approval, also left much room for the kind of clarity that tends to invite intra-government kerfuffles once fully articulated.