Top News North Korea test-fires new long-range cruise missiles: state media Yonhap News Agency Iran pledges to cooperate with U.N. atomic agency, easing nuclear talks threat The Wall Street Journal U.S., Japan, South Korea to meet over North Korea nuclear standoff Reuters United States OPINION: Boost Defense Spending? Congress Owes Us a Better Explanation Defense OneBilly Ostermeyer 9/12/21 Congress should clearly justify which defense spending increases are genuinely needed rather than just desired. East Asia North Korea test-fires new long-range cruise missiles: state media Yonhap News Agency9/13/21 North Korea successfully test-fired long-range cruise missiles on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. U.S., Japan, South Korea to meet over North Korea nuclear standoff Reuters9/10/21 Representatives from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea will meet in Tokyo to discuss options for managing North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities. South Korea, Australia reaffirm commitment to Indo-Pacific Stability Yonhap News Agency9/13/21 South Korea and Australia stressed the importance of reopening dialogues with North Korea and enforcing sanctions against the regime. ANALYSIS: Explainer: Missile tests renew North Korea’s regional threat Associated PressKim Tong-Hyung 9/13/21 North Korea’s latest missile tests represent a new threat for U.S. allies in the region and serve as a “statement of defiance” towards the U.S., Japan, and South Korea ahead of diplomatic talks in Tokyo. ANALYSIS: Why China’s attack on Nato ‘double standards’ suggests it will continue to build up nuclear arsenal South China Morning PostLiu Zhen 9/12/21 China responded to NATO’s calls for arms control by criticizing its nuclear sharing agreements, signaling that China will likely continue to expand its arsenal. Middle East Iran pledges to cooperate with U.N. atomic agency, easing nuclear talks threat The Wall Street Journal9/12/21 Iran agreed to grant IAEA inspectors access to some nuclear sites to reset monitoring equipment. ANALYSIS: The IAEA’s Iran NPT Safeguards Report Institute for Science and International SecurityDavid Albright, Sarah Burkhard, Andrea Stricker 9/9/21 The IAEA’s September 7 safeguards report illustrated a dangerous lack of Iranian cooperation at multiple nuclear sites. Russia and Europe Nuclear weapons out of Scotland within three years of independence, SNP agrees The National9/12/21 The Scottish National Party (SNP) voted that nuclear weapons must be removed from HM Naval Base Clyde within three years, if the Scottish vote for independence.