Top News U.S. sanctions Iran, seeks release of Americans amid coronavirus outbreak Reuters Political battle brewing over new nuclear program National Defense ARCHIVE: False warnings of Soviet missile attacks put U.S. forces on Alert in 1979-1980 National Security Archive United States Political battle brewing over new nuclear program National Defense3/17/20 The Trump administration’s proposal to begin work on a new nuclear warhead program to modernize the nation’s aging stockpile is expected to be hotly contested. Coronavirus has ‘no impact’ on ability to launch nuclear weapons: Top US nuke commander Fox News3/17/20 The head of U.S. nuclear forces said Tuesday the coronavirus outbreak has had “no impact” on his ability to launch nuclear weapons. ARCHIVE: False warnings of Soviet missile attacks put U.S. forces on Alert in 1979-1980 National Security Archive3/16/20 During the Cold War, false alarms of missile attacks were closely held matters although news of them inevitably leaked. OPINION: DoD needs to demystify hypersonic weapons technology Space NewsNicholas Nelson 3/17/20 Hypersonic weapons are drawing more media attention as China and Russia roll out new systems. OPINION: The U.S. nuclear deterrent is not prepared for climate catastrophe ForbesMatt Korda 3/16/20 Exactly one year ago the nerve center of the U.S. nuclear deterrent was underwater. East Asia North Korean missile activity unaffected by global COVID-19 fears: U.S. official NK News3/17/20 North Korea’s missile development and military activities remain “normal” despite the global coronavirus outbreak, a top American military commander in charge of nuclear weapons said on Tuesday. Middle East U.S. sanctions Iran, seeks release of Americans amid coronavirus outbreak Reuters3/17/20 The United States imposed fresh sanctions on Iran on Tuesday, keeping up its economic pressure campaign even as it offered to help Tehran cope with the coronavirus pandemic and called on the Islamic Republic to release detained Americans. U.S. sanctions oil smugglers, nuclear program Iran Primer3/17/20 On March 17, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced new sanctions on a petrochemical smuggling network and Iran’s nuclear program. He also blasted Tehran’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. ANALYSIS: One potential victim of coronavirus? Nuclear inspections in Iran Bulletin of Atomic ScientistsGeorge Moore 3/17/20 The health and humanitarian crisis of the Covid-19 outbreak has now been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. OPINION: Will Iran follow North Korea’s path and ditch the NPT? Foreign PolicyMahsa Rouhi 3/16/20 Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran has recently pushed each side into a series of escalatory moves and countermoves. Multilateral Arms Control ANALYSIS: IPNDV in the context of the upcoming NPT RevCon ELNAlex Bednarek 3/17/20 Signed by 190 out of the 195 countries of the world, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) has been the cornerstone of nuclear non-proliferation and arms control since 1970.