Top News: Congress presses White House to take control of pacific islands talks Foreign Policy Nuclear monitors say surveillance gear missing in Iran Yahoo Finance Hope fades as Iran pushes nuclear program and talks stall Politico United States Congress presses White House to take control of pacific islands talks Foreign Policy9/8/21 China is building military bases all over the Pacific. U.S. access is hung up over decades-old nuclear tests. OPINION: A nuclear cruise missile could be vital for arms control and nonproliferation efforts Breaking DefenseDavid Cooper 9/7/21 The U.S. can use nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCM-N) to pressure China and Russia into including sub-strategic nuclear forces in arms control negotiations while also strengthening allies’ confidence in U.S. extended deterrence. East Asia North Korea, slimmed down Kim Jong Un, enjoyed a toned-down parade Associated Press9/8/21 There was a notable absence of missiles at North Korea’s latest military parade, which typically serves as a platform to flex strategic weapons. PODCAST: Boiling fish at Yongbyon Arms Control WonkJeffrey Lewis, Aaron Stein 9/8/21 The IAEA has announced that it believes the DPRK is conducting a plutonium reprocessing campaign at Yongbyon. Middle East Nuclear monitors say surveillance gear missing in Iran Yahoo Finance9/8/21 Internal IAEA reports reveal that surveillance cameras and data storage gear went missing after an unexplained blast at an Iranian nuclear facility in June. Israel won’t let Iran become nuclear threshold state, Lapid Says Bloomberg9/9/21 Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid warned that Israel will not let Iran become a nuclear threshold state following a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister. Hope fades as Iran pushes nuclear program and talks stall Politico9/8/21 Some fear window to revive the 2015 deal with Tehran may be closing. Iran warns West of IAEA move as U.S says time running out to save nuclear deal Reuters9/8/21 Iran’s president on Wednesday warned Western states against rebuking Tehran at the U.N. atomic watchdog after its latest reports criticised his country, while the top U.S. diplomat said time was running out to revive a nuclear deal with world powers. ANALYSIS: IAEA report on Iran raises serious concerns about monitoring Arms Control AssociationKelsey Davenport, Julia Masterson 9/8/21 Iran’s lack of cooperation with the IAEA hinders the agency’s ability to maintain “continuity of knowledge” and further complicates the restoration of the JCPOA. Russia and Europe ANALYSIS: Defense innovation in Russia in the 2010s Taylor and FrancisVasilii Kashin 9/8/21 The chapter examines the driving forces and the institutions behind the Russian military buildup in the period between 2010 and 2020. International Arms Control General Assembly President calls for halt to nuclear tests UN News9/8/21 Despite recent developments in advancing nuclear disarmament, more remains to be done, said Mr. Bozkir, urging countries which have yet to sign or ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to do so without delay. Disarmament: Nuclear weapons and security are irreconcilable The Astana Times9/9/21 In a recent interview, Kazakhstan’s Director of Foreign Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the importance of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone ahead of its 15th anniversary and reiterated a commitment to global disarmament.