Top News: Senior U.S. diplomat Sherman to lead arms control talks with Russia Reuters ANALYSIS: A 2nd new nuclear missile base for China, and many questions about strategy The New York Times France says Iran endangers compromising chance for nuclear deal Reuters United States Senior U.S. diplomat Sherman to lead arms control talks with Russia Reuters7/23/21 Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will lead the U.S. delegation at nuclear arms control talks with Russia in Geneva on July 28, the State Department said on Friday. East Asia Koreas talk again in dormant channels, agree to improve ties Associated Press7/27/21 North and South Korea exchanged messages Tuesday in communication channels that have been dormant for more than a year and agreed to improve ties — positive steps but ones that still leave any resumption of stalled negotiations to rid the North of its nuclear weapons a long way off. ANALYSIS: China is building a second nuclear missile silo field Federation of American ScientistsMatt Korda and Hans Kristensen 7/26/21 Satellite images reveal that China is building a second nuclear missile silo field. The discovery follows the report earlier this month that China appears to be constructing 120 missile silos near Yumen in Gansu province. The second missile silo field is located 380 kilometers (240 miles) northwest of the Yumen field near the prefecture-level city of Hami in Eastern Xinjiang. ANALYSIS: A 2nd new nuclear missile base for China, and many questions about strategy The New York TimesWilliam J. Broad and David E. Sanger 7/26/21 Is China scrapping its “minimum deterrent” strategy and joining an arms race? Or is it looking to create a negotiating card, in case it is drawn into arms control negotiations? OPINION: Human rights pressure could prod North Korea into nuclear negotiations CATO InstituteDoug Bandow 7/26/21 Focusing on human‐rights issues could turn a moral imperative into a practical political tool. Middle East France says Iran endangers compromising chance for nuclear deal Reuters7/26/21 France’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Iran was endangering the chance of concluding an accord with world powers over reviving its 2015 nuclear deal if it did not return to the negotiating table soon. ANALYSIS: After months of optimism, a return to the Iran nuke deal begins to look unlikely The Times of IsraelLazar Berman 7/26/21 The Islamic Republic’s demands, along with progress in its program, make a return to the JCPOA seem much more difficult than when Biden came into office. OPINION: Congress, stop trying to sabotage diplomacy with Iran Just SecurityLouie Reckford 7/27/21 While Congress undoubtedly has a role to play in ensuring Iran complies with its commitments under the JCPOA, it should not prevent the United States from living up to its international commitments. Russia Russia is reportedly working on a new ‘Doomsday’ plane, a flying command and control center for nuclear war Business Insider7/26/21 Russia is working on a new “Doomsday” plane, a military aircraft that can serve as a flying command and control center in a disaster like nuclear-armed conflict, according to Russian state media.