Nuclear Policy News – July 28, 2021

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Top News:

U.S. concern over China nukes buildup after new silos report
Reuters

Iran’s supreme leader criticizes U.S. as nuclear talks stalled
Associated Press

Talks for new U.S.-Russia arms deal to stir up old bugaboo
Associated Press

United States

U.S. concern over China nukes buildup after new silos report
Reuters7/27/21
The Pentagon and Republican congressmen on Tuesday aired fresh concerns about China’s build-up of its nuclear forces after a new report saying Beijing was building 110 more missile silos.

U.S., Russian officials to hold talks on future arms control agenda
The Wall Street Journal7/27/21
Washington wants to address all Russian nuclear weapons; Moscow will focus on U.S. missile defenses at Wednesday meeting.

OPINION: While Biden aims for a new nuclear deal, Israel must stay tough on Iran
NewsweekJacob Nagel and Mark Dubowitz
7/28/21
Israeli officials are deeply troubled by Biden’s apparent readiness to bring Iran back into the fatally flawed 2015 nuclear deal at any price. It will be in both countries’ best interest if Bennett tells Biden privately—but directly—what the latter’s administration is doing wrong.

East Asia

NK leader makes no mention of nuclear deterrence at national conference of war veterans
The Korea Herald7/28/21
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the country’s armed forces are fully ready to deal with any outside threats as he addressed a conference of war veterans but unlike last year, made no mention of “nuclear deterrence,” according to state media Wednesday.

ANALYSIS: New approaches to verifying and monitoring North Korea’s nuclear arsenal
Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceAnkit Panda, Toby Dalton, Thomas Macdonald, and Megan Dubois
7/27/21
While hopes remain for a reboot of nuclear talks with North Korea, a crucial but oft-overlooked question is how compliance with any negotiated agreement would be monitored and verified.

ANALYSIS: Lessons from the Iran deal for nuclear negotiations with North Korea
Carnegie Endowment for International PeaceToby Dalton and Ankit Panda
7/27/21
Despite major differences between the cases of Iran and North Korea, there are several useful observations from the lengthy talks between Iran and the P5+1 negotiating parties (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) that might be applicable to future talks with North Korea.

Middle East

Iran’s supreme leader criticizes U.S. as nuclear talks stalled
Associated Press7/28/21
Iran’s supreme leader on Wednesday called the U.S. “stubborn” in stalled nuclear talks in Vienna for discussing Tehran’s missiles and regional influence, likely signaling more trouble ahead for the negotiations.

Gantz to BBC in Persian: Iran close to enrichment for nuclear weapon
The Jerusalem Post7/28/21
The defense minister addressed Israel’s abilities against Iran saying: “We have abilities and means that I cannot expand on, and we are ready to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.

Hardliners hit back at Rouhani, blame him for failure of nuclear talks
Iran International7/27/21
Ultraconservative news website Raja News, close to Paydari Party, one of the most powerful factions at Iran’s conservative-dominated parliament, has accused President Hassan Rouhani of refusing to implement parts of the December 2020 legislation that called for limiting Iran’s commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal and boosting nuclear enrichment.

Russia

Kremlin says Biden is wrong to say that Russia only has nuclear weapons and oil
Reuters7/28/21
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s assessment of Russia as only having nuclear weapons and oil was wide of the mark and betrayed a lack of knowledge about the country.

Talks for new U.S.-Russia arms deal to stir up old bugaboo
Associated Press7/27/21
In their search for a new approach to arms control, Moscow and Washington are likely to soon encounter an old bugaboo: Russia’s demand that the U.S. stop resisting limits on its missile defenses, which the Russians view as a long-term threat and the Americans see as a deterrent to war.

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