Top News President Trump tells other nations: Don’t do business with Iran USA Today U.S. to Restore Sanctions on Iran, Deepening Divide With Europe New York Times North Korea’s Pompeo Problem Exposes Widening Rift on Talks Bloomberg Hiroshima mayor marks 73rd A-bomb anniversary with indirect call to sign U.N. nuke ban treaty The Japan Times National security adviser John Bolton on Iran: ‘Our policy is not regime change’ Washington Post East Asia North Korea’s Pompeo Problem Exposes Widening Rift on Talks Bloomberg8/6/18 The widening gulf between Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s description of nuclear talks with North Korea and Pyongyang’s criticism of his efforts is adding further confusion to the status of negotiations intended to achieve the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” North Korean officials and state media have in recent weeks repeatedly rebutted the top U.S. diplomat’s characterization of events and suggested the administration has a myopic focus on denuclearization while ignoring issues, such as bringing about a final resolution of the Korean War. Hiroshima mayor marks 73rd A-bomb anniversary with indirect call to sign U.N. nuke ban treaty The Japan Times8/6/18 Marking the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bomb attack, Hiroshima once again fell silent Monday morning while traffic came to a halt in remembrance of those lost, with dignitaries urging world leaders to strengthen efforts to abandon nuclear weapons and highlighting the slow progress toward abolition. In the city’s annual Peace Declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged world leaders to make the landmark U.N. treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons “a milestone along the path to a nuclear-weapon-free world,” but stopped short of calling on Tokyo to join the 2017 pact. China claims to have successfully tested its first hypersonic aircraft CNN8/7/18 China claims to have successfully tested its first hypersonic aircraft, a big step forward in aerospace technology that could intensify pressure on the US military. The China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA), based in Beijing and part of the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, conducted the first test of the “Starry Sky-2” aircraft last Friday. Middle East U.S. to Restore Sanctions on Iran, Deepening Divide With Europe New York Times8/6/18 The United States said Monday it was reimposing economic sanctions against Iran that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord, ratcheting up pressure on Tehran but also worsening relations with European allies. The sanctions are a consequence of President Trump’s decision in May to withdraw from an international deal that sought to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing pressure on the country’s shaky economy. A Top Syrian Scientist Is Killed, and Fingers Point at Israel New York Times8/6/18 Aziz Asbar was one of Syria’s most important rocket scientists, bent on amassing an arsenal of precision-guided missiles that could be launched with pinpoint accuracy against Israeli cities hundreds of miles away. On Saturday, he was killed by a car bomb — apparently planted by Mossad, the Israeli spy agency. Russia/FSU/Europe Trump ally Sen. Rand Paul invites Russians to U.S. Capitol USA Today8/6/18 Members of the Russian Federation plan to visit the U.S. Capitol for the first time in almost three years, at the invitation of Sen. Rand Paul. The Kentucky Republican announced Monday that Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, had agreed to send a delegation to Washington to discuss nuclear non-proliferation and combating terrorism. Paul met with Kosachev for an hour on Monday morning. Russia hits out at US over reintroduction of sanctions on Iran Financial Times8/7/18 Russia has challenged the US over its reintroduction of unilateral sanctions against Tehran, saying it would seek to work with other countries to preserve and expand economic exchanges with Iran. “We are taking appropriate measures on a national level to protect [our] trade and economic co-operation with Iran. We also continue to develop on joint solutions together with other participants of the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] aimed at the preservation and expansion of international trade and financial co-operation with Iran,” the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. “We believe that this work is in line with the interests of the international community.” U.S. Nuclear Policy President Trump tells other nations: Don’t do business with Iran USA Today8/7/18 A day after renewing sanctions on Iran, and pledging more in three months, President Donald Trump warned other nations Tuesday not to trade with the Tehran regime and claimed his ultimate goal is peace. “Anyone doing business with Iran will NOT be doing business with the United States. I am asking for WORLD PEACE, nothing less!” Trump said in an early morning tweet. National security adviser John Bolton on Iran: ‘Our policy is not regime change’ Washington Post8/6/18 The United States is “very serious” about applying pressure on Iran through the reinstatement of sanctions but is not seeking regime change, White House national security adviser John Bolton said Monday. Opinion and Analysis The Good Old Days Of The Cold War: U.S.-Soviet Cooperation On Nonproliferation War on the RocksWilliam Potter and Sarah Bigood 8/7/18 There is no shortage of nonproliferation threats today that would benefit from U.S.-Russian collaboration. These include addressing the continuing development of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, preventing nuclear terrorism, and — yes — making sure the 2020 NPT Review Conference is not an unmitigated disaster. The ingredients of successful U.S.-Soviet nonproliferation cooperation highlighted here point to some ways for Washington and Moscow to get back to a place where they can address these and other challenges effectively. The Hiroshima anniversary: 5 things you should know about nuclear weapons today VoxMichael Krepon 8/6/18 The imprint on public consciousness of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which occurred 73 years ago Monday, has faded greatly. The hibakusha, or survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, which killed more than 130,000 and left tens of thousands of others with horrendous injuries, have been the most ardent proponents of nuclear abolition. Now they are few in number, and nuclear-armed states seem deaf to their pleas. Could India’s Missile Defense Trigger a Nuclear War with Pakistan? The National InterestMichael Peck 8/7/18 India says it has successfully tested an interceptor capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. But could this trigger a nuclear war with Pakistan? Thorium power has a protactinium problem Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsEva Uribe 8/6/18 There is little to be gained by calling thorium fuel cycles intrinsically proliferation-resistant. The best way to realize nuclear power from thorium fuel cycles is to acknowledge their unique proliferation vulnerabilities, and to adequately safeguard them against theft and misuse. Who Are We To Deny Weak Nations The Nuclear Weapons They Need For Self-Defense? ForbesMichael Shellenberger 8/6/18 Who are we to deny weak nations the nuclear weapons they need for self-defense? The answer should by now be clear: hypocritical, short-sighted, and imperialistic.