Top News Iranian president accuses U.S. of savagery after new sanctions Reuters Congress moving toward final passage of stopgap budget; Air Force warheads, pits brace for hits Exchange Monitor North Korea’s nuclear facility affected by typhoons Bloomberg United States Congress moving toward final passage of stopgap budget; Air Force warheads, pits brace for hits Exchange Monitor9/25/20 At deadline Friday, Congress appeared on track to pass a just-in-time stopgap budget that will force the National Nuclear Security Administration to operate for nearly three months with a budget that’s about $3 billion a year less than what the agency says it needs. The Air Force just successfully tested an $8.1 billion ‘nuclear gravity bomb’ Business Insider9/28/20 During the Cold War, the United States built thousands of nuclear bombs. Many of them were “gravity” or “dumb” bombs that could be dropped from a plane. East Asia North Korea’s nuclear facility affected by typhoons Bloomberg9/26/20 North Korea’s nuclear complex at Yongbyon has been affected by a typhoons that hit the country recently. ANALYSIS: North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear center: drying off 38 NorthPeter Makowsky, Frank Pabian, Jack Liu, Jenny Town 9/25/20 Commercial satellite imagery of the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center from September 21 reveals minimal damage to the buildings throughout the complex, but notable damage along the river. Middle East Iranian president accuses U.S. of savagery after new sanctions Reuters9/26/20 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused the United States on Saturday of “savagery” for inflicting $150 billion of damage on Iran due to sanctions, and said Iranians should direct their anger at the White House. PRESS RELEASE: This week in Iran policy U.S. Department of State9/26/20 The United States sanctioned several Iranian officials and entities for gross violations of human rights. ANALYSIS: Advantageous ambiguity: Israel’s nuclear arsenal Carnegie MoscowViktor Esin 9/25/20 Israel’s “anonymous” nuclear arsenal will remain the most important component of the military balance in the Middle East for the foreseeable future, and a significant driver of discord between Tel Aviv and other states in the region, complicating prospects for strengthening the non-proliferation regime in the Middle East. Multilateral Arms Control Eliminating nuclear weapons remains top United Nations priority, Secretary-General reminds states United Nations Secretary General 9/25/20 The United Nations was founded in the same year as the world’s first nuclear test, which was swiftly followed by the devastating nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. OPINION: If we can’t ban nukes, let’s stigmatize them Washington PostAndreas Kluth 9/28/20 There are potential catastrophes so dire, only an approach that blurs the realist and the utopian seems appropriate.