Top News: Russia, U.S. moved forward in their understanding of nuclear disarmament in Vienna Tass Trump administration says it won’t carry out a nuclear weapons test ‘at this time’ CNN Iran’s Rouhani warns UN agency over nuke site access demands Associated Press United States Trump administration says it won’t carry out a nuclear weapons test ‘at this time’ CNN6/24/20 The U.S. told Russia that that there is no reason for the Trump administration to carry out a nuclear weapons test “at this time,” during nuclear negotiations in Vienna this week, but reserved the right to conduct one if they see a need to do so. OPINION: Countering missile threats means addressing the present while planning for the future Defense News6/24/20 In 2017, I helped author the CSIS report “Missile Defense 2020,” a broad look at the history, status and future of the U.S. homeland missile defense system known as Ground-based Midcourse Defense. OPINION: The state department’s compliance report plays the blame game, despite offering little evidence Federation of American Scientists – Matt Korda, Hans Kristensen 6/24/20 The State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance yesterday released its annual “Compliance Report,” which provides a detailed overview of U.S. (and other countries’) adherence to various treaty and agreement commitments. East Asia OPINION: China’s ‘no first use’ nuclear fiction The Hill – Peter Pry 6/24/20 Many China experts in government and academia, and anti-nuclear activists such as the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Federation of American Scientists, appear not to be worried by China’s rapidly growing nuclear capabilities, because Beijing’s official policy promises that China will not be the first to employ nuclear weapons in a conflict. Middle East Iran’s Rouhani warns UN agency over nuke site access demands Associated Press6/24/20 Iran’s president on Wednesday warned the U.N. nuclear watchdog to expect a “stern response” from his country regarding the agency’s demands for Iran to provide access to sites where Tehran is thought to have stored or used undeclared nuclear material. Iran says it’s ready for talks if U.S. apologises over nuclear pact Reuters6/24/20 Iran would be open to talks with the United States if Washington apologises for exiting a 2015 nuclear deal and compensates Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday, cautioning that U.S. calls for discussions were insincere. Russia and Europe Russia, U.S. moved forward in their understanding of nuclear disarmament in Vienna Tass6/24/20 Washington sees the possibility of another round of nuclear disarmament talks with Russia in late June or early August. U.S. warns Russia, China of U.N. isolation if Iran arms ban extension blocked Reuters6/24/20 Russia and China will be isolated at the United Nations if they continue down the “road to dystopia” by blocking a U.S. bid to extend a weapons ban on Iran, U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook told Reuters ahead of his formal pitch of the embargo to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday.