Top News South Korea maintains Kim Jong Un health rumors are untrue Associated Press To pressure Iran, Pompeo turns to the deal Trump renounced New York Times UK says Iran’s ballistic missile launch is of significant concern Reuters United States How the nuclear force dodged the coronavirus Politico4/23/20 The nation’s nuclear forces, which prepare for the worst even on good days, were among the earliest and most aggressive in planning for the coronavirus pandemic, according to interviews with military officials and an internal timeline of key actions. Hypersonics: DoD wants ‘hundreds of weapons’ ASAP Breaking Defense4/24/20 “We want to deliver hypersonics at scale,” said R&D director Mark Lewis, from air-breathing cruise missiles to rocket-boosted gliders that fly through space. ANALYSIS: Defending deterrence Institute for Public PolicyDavid Trachtenberg, Michaela Dodge, Amy Joseph 4/27/20 The concept of deterrence is congenial to Western democracies. As Lawrence Freedman put it, deterrence strategies “appeal to governments because they can be presented as being defensive but not weak, and firm but not reckless.” OPINION: America’s bomber force is facing a crisis Defense NewsMaj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem (ret.), Douglas Birkey 4/24/20 The nation faces a bomber crisis, and it is time to openly acknowledge the scale and scope of the problem. East Asia Ex-CIA Korea Chief: N. Korea to be nuke threat even after Kim Jong Un Jerusalem Post4/27/20 Questions started swirling about Kim’s health after he skipped an April 15 ceremony for the 108th birthday of his late grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il-sung. South Korea maintains Kim Jong Un health rumors are untrue Associated Press4/27/20 South Korean officials reported no unusual activity in North Korea on Tuesday following unconfirmed media reports that leader Kim Jong Un was in fragile health after surgery. Middle East To pressure Iran, Pompeo turns to the deal Trump renounced New York Times4/26/20 The secretary of state is preparing an argument that the U.S. remains a participant in the Obama-era nuclear deal, with the goal of extending an arms embargo or destroying the accord. U.S. more concerned about Iranian rocket than new satellite, General says Military.com4/23/20 The Iranian rocket that carried a military satellite into space is an immediate concern for the U.S. military because of its implications for the regime’s plans to develop long-range missiles, Air Force Gen. John Hyten said Wednesday. After conflicting public statements, it’s not clear whether U.S. ships will start shooting at Iranian boats Military Times4/24/20 Iran shouldn’t be surprised if next time one of its speedboats zigzags in front a U.S. ship in the Persian Gulf and it ends up blown out of the water, but it’s not a new rule of engagement. Russia and Europe UK says Iran’s ballistic missile launch is of significant concern Reuters4/24/20 Britain said on Friday that Iran’s launch of a military satellite using ballistic missile technology earlier this week was of significant concern and inconsistent with a United Nations Security Council resolution.