In conjunction with the Obama-Medvedev Summit in Moscow today, the United States and Russia reached a Joint Understanding (White House press release) for establishing new limitations on the number of strategic nuclear warheads and delivery vehicles under the START Follow-on Treaty.
Programmes
START follow-on negotiations: Russians focus on delivery vehicles
An announcement on the US/Russian negotiations is expected at July's summit between Obama and Medvedev.
Iran update: number 135
Summary
- IAEA reports no change
- Obama holds out a diplomatic hand to Iran
- Iranian Presidential elections on June 12 – result in the balance
- Sarkozy meets with Iran's foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki
- Gates confirms Iran launch of Sejil-2 missile
- Israelis accuse Bolivia and Venezuela of supplying Iran with uranium
- Ahmadinejad denies collaboration with North Korea
- US House and Senate discuss deepening sanctions
- New Israel-US working group on Iran's nuclear program
Political developments around nuclear weapons and the “butterfly effect”
During the past month or two, getting to zero has seemed to resemble the early phase of the butterfly effect of Chaos Theory. The thinking goes as follows: the movement of air caused by a butterfly flapping his wings could contribute to the formation of a hurricane, or other major weather event. Without that one extra factor of the flapping of the butterfly's wings, the event may not have occurred. Of course, the flapping of a butterfly's wings alone cannot cause a weather event.
Iran update: number 134
Summary
- Iran and US delegations clash again at the NPT PrepCom
- Tehran further clarifies its priorities in the upcoming negotiations with the E3+3; won't suspend enrichment; EU endorses proposed meetings between E3+3 and Iran
- US Senate Foreign Relations Committee releases report on Iran; Congress introduces more proposals for sanctions
- Gates tours Middle East to discuss negotiations with Arab allies
- Iranian court releases Iranian-American journalist convicted of spying
- Israeli military leaders say they have continued preparati
NATO nuclear burden sharing and NPT obligations
NATO's major review of its Strategic Concept will cover all aspects of its strategic policy, including its nuclear posture, including the issue of US warheads in European non-nuclear states, which threatens the cohesion of the NPT.
Obama’s nuclear diplomacy
Barack Obama has called for a world free of nuclear weapons and has committed to reducing their number and salience during his administration. His continuing engagement with allies and Russia on nuclear arms control, and the results of posture reviews back home, could result in significant progress.