Top News Trump to pressure China to join New START deal to restrict its growing nuke arsenal Washington Times North Korea leader Kim Jong Un oversaw latest missile launch: KCNA Reuters Atomic agency cites concerns over Iran testing sites, offers COVID-19 assistance UN News United States Trump to pressure China to join New START deal to restrict its growing nuke arsenal Washington Times3/10/20 The Trump administration this week disclosed plans to seek an extension of the 2010 New START agreement to limit China’s growing nuclear arsenal and restrict exotic new weapons not covered by the treaty. ANALYSIS: How Minot plans to protect America’s ICBMs from drones C4IRSAaron Mehta 3/10/20 Drones are both a threat to Minot’s ICBM mission — and potentially a benefit. East Asia North Korea leader Kim Jong Un oversaw latest missile launch: KCNA Reuters3/9/20 Kim Jong Un personally oversaw Monday’s “firepower strike drill,” North Korea state media reported on Tuesday, including the launch of what appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles for the second time in a week. Middle East U.S. military cancels plans to purchase Iron Dome missile defense batteries Jerusalem Post3/10/20 Plans to purchase more Iron Dome missile defense batteries have been canceled because of difficulties integrating them into the U.S. Army’s existing air defense systems. Atomic agency cites concerns over Iran testing sites, offers COVID-19 assistance UN News3/9/20 Iran’s nuclear capabilities moved back into the international spotlight on Monday as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that it had concerns about possible “undeclared nuclear material and nuclear-related activities” in unregistered locations there. ANALYSIS: Iran and the NPT: Safeguards at stake European Leadership NetworkMark Hibbs 3/6/20 During the week of 9th March, member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have an opportunity to de-escalate rising international tension over Iran’s refusal to provide the IAEA information about its nuclear activities. Russia/Europe Latest S-400 missile systems to arrive for air defense regiment in Urals by October TASS3/10/20 The air defense regiment in the Sverdlovsk Region in the Urals will receive the latest S-400 ‘Triumf’ surface-to-air missile systems by the end of October, the press office of Russia’s Central Military District reported on Tuesday. U.S. official: New START Treaty should cover Russian weapon systems under development Radio Free Europe3/10/20 An extension of the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between the United States and Russia should include new weapons systems that Moscow is developing, a U.S. State Department official said in a briefing on March 9. Multilateral Arms Control ANALYSIS: Can the nuclear nonproliferation regime be saved when arms control is collapsing? Bulletin of Atomic ScientistsJohn Mecklin 3/9/20 The United States’ withdrawal from the landmark Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, its backing away from the Iran nuclear deal, and the impending lapse of New START – the treaty that limits US and Russian deployed strategic nuclear weapons – would indeed be worrisome enough, even considered in isolation from one another. UNSC permanent members express full support for non-proliferation treaty, reaffirm commitment to IAEA CGTN3/11/20 Foreign Ministers of China, France, Russia, UK and the U.S. issued a joint statement on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at its 50th anniversary on Tuesday, reaffirming their commitment to the NPT in all its aspects and their full support to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).