Page 2 - Nuclear Weapons

Iran not pursuing nukes, but uranium stockpile at its highest, says Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard informed the Senate that Iran's uranium stockpile is at its highest, and it is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons

Japan won't join UN meeting on nuclear weapons ban, backs US' deterrence

Japan will not attend a UN conference on the treaty banning nuclear weapons, a top government official in Tokyo said Monday, noting US nuclear deterrence is crucial to the country's security and that its participation would send the wrong message". Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan's national security is the primary reason it will not participate as an observer at the conference, which starts Monday in New York. Under the severe security environment, nuclear deterrence is indispensable to defend the people's lives and assets, as well as Japan's sovereignty and peace, Hayashi told reporters. Japan's participation as an observer at the conference would send a wrong message about the Japanese policy (supporting) nuclear deterrence and interfere with our effort in security, peace and safety. The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was approved in 2017 and went into force in 2021 following a decades-long campaign aimed at preventing a repeat of the US atom

Iran accelerates production of near weapons-grade uranium, says IAEA

Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium as tensions between Tehran and Washington rise after the election of US President Donald Trump, a report by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog seen by The Associated Press on Wednesday showed. The report by the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said that as of Feb. 8, Iran has 274.8 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%. That's an increase of 92.5 kilograms since the IAEA's last report in November. That material is a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. A report in November 2024 put the stockpile at 182.3 kilograms. It had 164.7 kilograms last August. "The significantly increased production and accumulation of high enriched uranium by Iran, the only non-nuclear weapon State to produce such nuclear material, is of serious concern, the confidential report stated. According to the IAEA, approximately 42 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium is theoretically enough to produce one at

Trump admin tries to bring back fired nuclear arms workers in DOGE reversal

The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation's nuclear weapons programmes, in an about-face that has left workers confused and experts cautioning that DOGE's blind cost cutting will put communities at risk. Three US officials who spoke to AP said up to 350 employees at the National Nuclear Security Administration were abruptly laid off late on Thursday, with some losing access to email before they'd learned they were fired, only to try to enter their offices on Friday morning to find they were locked out. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. One of the hardest hit offices was the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, Texas, which saw about 30 per cent of the cuts. Those employees work on reassembling warheads, one of the most sensitive jobs across the nuclear weapons enterprise, with the highest levels of clearance. The hundreds let go at NNSA were part of a DOGE purge across t

Veteran nuclear scientist Rajagopala Chidambaram passes away at 88

Veteran scientist Rajagopala Chidambaram, who played a key role in the nuclear tests of 1975 and 1998, died on Saturday, an official of the Department of Atomic Energy said. He was 88. Chidambaram, who was also associated with the nuclear weapons programme, breathed his last at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai at 3.20 am, the official said. He was the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Principal Scientific Advisor to the government of India. Chidambaram was conferred with the Padma Shri and the Padma Vibhushan in 1975 and 1999 respectively.

Russian official warns US on possible nuclear testing under Trump

During Trump's first 2017-2021 term as president, his administration discussed whether or not to conduct the first US nuclear test since 1992, the Washington Post reported in 2020

Kim calls for bolstering nuclear weapons after testing 2 types of missiles

North Korea said Thursday that leader Kim Jong Un supervised successful tests of two types of missiles one designed to carry a super-large conventional warhead" and the other likely for a nuclear warhead, as he ordered officials to bolster up his country's military capabilities to repel US-led threats. The tests were apparent references to the multiple missile launches that neighbouring countries said North Korea performed off its east coast on Wednesday, extending its run of weapons display as confrontations with the US and South Korea escalate. The official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim oversaw the launch of the country's newly built Hwasongpho-11-Da-4.5 ballistic missile tipped with a dummy 4.5-ton super-large conventional warhead. It said the test-firing was meant to verify an ability to accurately hit a 320 kilometer (200 mile)-range target, suggesting it's a weapon aimed at striking sites in South Korea. KCNA said Kim also guided the launch of an improved strategic

Explained: How Russia may change its doctrine for nuclear weapon use

The current doctrine was set out by President Vladimir Putin in June 2020 in a six-page decree

Russia slams UN nuclear watchdog after trip to plant close to fighting

Russian state news agency RIA quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying in a radio interview that Moscow wanted the IAEA to speak out more clearly on issues of nuclear security

Iran moving forward on key aspect of developing a nuclear bomb, claims US

Iran is talking more about getting a nuclear bomb and has made strides in developing a key aspect of a weapon since about April, when Israel and its allies overpowered a barrage of Iranian airstrikes targeting Israel, two top Biden administration officials said Friday. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking at separate panels during a security forum in Colorado, said the United States was watching closely for any signs that Iran had made a decision to pursue actual weaponization of its nuclear program. However, Sullivan said, I have not seen a decision by Iran to move in a way that signals it has decided to actually develop a nuclear bomb right now. "If they start moving down that road, they'll find a real problem with the United States," Sullivan said at the Aspen Security Forum, which draws U.S. policymakers, journalists and others. Iran resumed progress on its nuclear program after the Trump administration ended US cooperation wit

North Korea claims new ballistic missile capable of carrying huge warhead

North Korea said Tuesday it had test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a huge warhead, as the country is pushing to modernise its weapons arsenal to cope with what it calls US-led threats. The North's official Korean Central News Agency called the weapon Hwasongpho-11Da-4.5 which can carry 4.5 ton-class super-large warhead. It said the test-fire on Monday was meant to verify flight stability and hit accuracy at the maximum range of 500 kilometres (310 miles) and the minimum range of 90 kilometres (55 miles). South Korea's military earlier said that North Korea launched two ballistic missiles from one of its southwestern towns in a northeastern direction on Monday and that the first missile flew 600 kilometres (370 miles) and the second missile 120 kilometres (75 miles). The second missile's flight distance was too short to reach the waters off the North's east coast, a typical landing site for North Korean test missiles. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff

Global spending on nuclear weapons hits record $91 billion in 2023: Report

Global military spending on nuclear arsenals surged by 33% over the past five years, reaching $91 billion in 2023

Nuclear powers set to continue boosting operational warheads, says report

The number of such warheads rose to 3,904 as Russia continues to threaten its adversaries at the same time as China may have put weapons of mass destruction on high operational alert

Russian warships to arrive in Havana, will not carry nukes: Cuban officials

Four Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said Thursday, citing historically friendly relations between both nations and as tensions escalate over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Cuba's foreign ministry said in a news release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and June 17, noting that none of them will carry any nuclear weapons and assuring their presence does not represent a threat to the region. The announcement came a day after U.S. officials said that Washington had been tracking Russian warships and aircraft that were expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of a broader Russian response to the U.S. support for Ukraine. The officials said that the Russian military presence was notable but not concerning. However, it's taking place as Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Moscow could take asymmetrical

Iran's President Raisi took hard line with national protests, nuclear talks

Raisi died when a helicopter carrying him back from a visit to the Azerbaijani border crashed in mountainous terrain, killing all aboard, a senior Iranian official said

Israel should be allowed to nuke Gaza like Hiroshima, Nagasaki: US senator

Lindsey Graham, a Republican Senator and a staunch supporter of Israel, criticised President Joe Biden for pausing the delivery of 3000 heavy bombs to Israel

Belarus launches nuclear drills after Russia announces them amid tensions

Belarus on Tuesday launched drills involving missiles and warplanes capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, which close ally Russia has deployed there amid tensions with the West over Ukraine. The Belarusian maneuvers began a day after Russia announced plans to hold similar drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons in what it cast as a response to statements by Western officials signalling possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. It was the first time such an exercise had been publicly announced by Moscow. Belarus' Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said a unit of Iskander short-range missiles and a squadron of Su-25 fighter jets will take part in the drills. The maneuvers, held jointly with Russia, began as Russian President Vladimir Putin was inaugurated to a fifth term on Tuesday, vowing to ensure Russia's security. Last year, Russia moved some of its tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus, which also borders Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Latvia and

Russia defends UN veto on space nuke ban, urges ban on all weapons

Russia on Monday defended its veto of a United Nations resolution urging all nations to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space, challenging the US, Japan and their Western allies to support Moscow's rival resolution calling for a ban on all weapons in space "for all time". Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said the United States and Japan, which sponsored the vetoed resolution, are guilty of of hypocrisy and double standards. He accused the U.S. and Western nations more broadly of planning for the military exploration of outer space, including the deployment of weapons, in particular strike combat systems. US deputy ambassador Robert Wood countered, telling the U.N. General Assembly: The truth is that Russia currently has several conventional anti-satellite weapons already in orbit, one of which it tested in 2019. He added Russia has threatened to target satellites with weapons, and said there is credible information that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a ..

Russia prepping to deploy nuclear weapon in space, says US official

US has been unable to convince Russia and China to 'fly a nuclear weapon in space'

China, Russia should clarify nuclear weapons are not controlled by AI: US

As part of normalising military communications, US and Chinese officials resumed nuclear weapons discussions in January, but formal arms control negotiations are not expected any time soon