Tag: nuclear
CIA director says Iran’s nuclear sites ‘severely damaged’
The head of the CIA has said US strikes “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear facilities and set them back years, diverging from a leaked intelligence report that angered President Donald Trump by downplaying the raid’s impact. John Ratcliffe, the US spy agency’s director, said key sites had been destroyed, though he stopped short of declaring that…
Decoy flights and seven B-2 stealth bombers – how US says it hit Iran’s nuclear sites
An 18-hour flight each way, multiple mid-air refuelings, and a series of decoys – this is how the mission to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities played out, according to four-star General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the US military. Although the full impact of what the US…
Trump says U.S. ‘completely and totally obliterated’ nuclear facilities in Iran
By Elena Moore , Megan Pratz The U.S. military has joined with Israel to launch military strikes against Iran, a dramatic escalation in the years-long effort by both nations to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and…
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bomb Israel Wants to Destroy Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Facility
Why This Is the Only Bomb That Could Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Bunker—Under 300 Feet of Rock American military engineers designed the GBU-57/B bomb to devastate deeply buried bunkers without radioactive fallout. It’s the only nonnuclear weapon that can reach Iran’s hardest target By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Dean Visser Maxar satellite imagery overview of…
Israel says it killed 9 Iranian nuclear scientists, and braces for attacks from Iran
By Rebecca Rosman , Hadeel Al-Shalchi , Jane Arraf , Juliana Kim Israel’s military says it killed nine of Iran’s top nuclear scientists Friday as part of its strikes aimed at crippling the country’s nuclear capabilities. The Israeli military said the scientists had played key roles in advancing Iran’s nuclear program, and called their deaths…
Was Iran months away from producing a nuclear bomb?
Israel has struck dozens of targets across Iran, damaging the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and assassinating top military commanders and nuclear scientists in Tehran. After the first wave of attacks on Thursday night, the Iranian foreign minister condemned what he called Israel’s “reckless” attacks on his country’s “peaceful nuclear facilities”. Iran has since launched…
Israel expands strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities
Geoff Brumfiel As part of a broad strike on Iran, Israel has attacked several of the country’s key nuclear facilities. The first and most visible strike took place in the opening hours of the Israeli air campaign, which began overnight on Thursday. In a statement the Israeli military said that fighter jets had struck Iran’s…
Could Iran Have Been Close to Making a Nuclear Weapon? Uranium Enrichment Explained
Could Iran Have Been Close to Making a Nuclear Weapon? Uranium Enrichment Explained When Israeli aircraft recently struck a uranium-enrichment complex in the nation, Iran could have been days away from achieving “breakout,” the ability to quickly turn “yellowcake” uranium into bomb-grade fuel, with its new high-speed centrifuges By Deni Ellis Béchard edited by Dean…
Sizewell C nuclear plant gets £14bn go-ahead from government
The government has committed £14.2bn of investment to build the new Sizewell C nuclear plant on the Suffolk coastline, ahead of the Spending Review. Sizewell C will create 10,000 direct jobs, thousands more in firms supplying the plant and generate enough energy to power six million homes, the Treasury said. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the…
Nuclear Weapon Strike Decisions Could Come Down to Human Suggestibility
In Deciding to Launch a Nuclear Strike, Humans Are Shockingly Suggestible Surveys show that how nuclear strike options are presented strongly influences the decision a president may make By Sarah Scoles edited by Clara Moskowitz Thermonuclear Detonation 1967 Pacific Proving Grounds. No one has launched a nuclear weapon in war since 1945, when U.S. president…
Why Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Won’t Shield the U.S. from Nuclear Strikes
Why Some Experts Call Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Shield a Dangerous Fantasy The White House’s $175-billion plan to protect the U.S. from nuclear annihilation will probably cost much more—and deliver far less—than has been claimed, says nuclear arms expert Jeffrey Lewis By Lee Billings U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the…
India and Pakistan Remind Us We Need to Stop the Risk of Nuclear War
Opinion India and Pakistan Remind Us We Need to Stop the Risk of Nuclear War The U.S. needs to set an example for the rest of the world by taking our nuclear missiles off hair-trigger alert and negotiating a reduction of our arsenal By Alan Robock & Lili Xia We are living in a scary…
India and Pakistan trade attacks amid risk of war between nuclear states
By Bilal Kuchay , Diaa Hadid Pakistan’s army said it shot down 25 military drones that fanned over population centers — including the city that houses Pakistan’s general army headquarters. By Thursday evening, residents in Indian border towns reported hearing blasts. Authorities announced blackouts along parts of the border, and the Secretary of State Marco…
Iran and the U.S. plan expert-level talks over Tehran’s nuclear program
By The Associated Press ROME — Iran and the United States will begin having experts meet to discuss details of a possible deal over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, the top Iranian diplomat said Saturday after a second round of negotiations in Rome. The comments by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with U.S.…
U.S. Nuclear Talks With Iran Move Forward
Trump Administration In a first meeting, the United States and Iran show signs of pragmatism and limited aims, which would make success more likely. But hard-liners on both sides — and Israel — are bound to balk. By Steven Erlanger Steven Erlanger has covered the vagaries of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program for many years.…
An Explosive Clock Is Ticking on Iran and Its Nuclear Program
Trump Administration News Analysis Expected talks between Iran and the United States would be a late, and perhaps last, opportunity to control Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and avoid war. By Steven Erlanger Steven Erlanger has covered talks on Iran’s nuclear program for many years and reported from Berlin. Talks between the United States and Iran, which…
Trump Wants to Take Over Ukraine’s Nuclear Plants. What Would That Mean?
Russia-Ukraine War The White House said taking ownership of Ukrainian plants would give them the “best protection.” The idea faces legal hurdles and operational challenges, and it’s unclear if Ukraine would agree to it. By Constant Méheut Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine During a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine this week, President Trump floated…
As Trump Stirs Doubt, Europeans Debate Their Own Nuclear Deterrent
Germany’s Politics Talk of replacing the American nuclear umbrella over Europe with the small British and French nuclear armories is in the air, however vague and fanciful. By Steven Erlanger Reporting from Berlin Germany’s next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, set European pigeons flying in circles when he suggested last month that given rising mistrust in President…
Trump rebuffed by Iran’s leader after sending letter calling for nuclear negotiation
Luke Garrett President Trump said he sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week asking that the two leaders “negotiate” over the Islamic republic’s nuclear program. On Saturday, the Iranian leader condemned the effort by unnamed “bullying governments” to make a deal over the program. Trump said the alternative to talks…
Killing a Nuclear Watchdog’s Independence Threatens Disaster
Opinion Killing a Nuclear Watchdog’s Independence Threatens Disaster A Trump administration plan would end the independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where similar oversight muzzling has led to nuclear disasters overseas By Katy Huff, Paul Wilson & Michael Corradini edited by Dan Vergano Prypiat classroom with books lying on the floor, Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukraine.…
Elon Musk Can Find His $2-Trillion Federal Spending Cut in Nuclear Weapons
Opinion ArgonautWednesdays Elon Musk Can Find His $2-Trillion Federal Spending Cut in Nuclear Weapons DOGE’s Elon Musk should turn his $2-trillion hatchet to wasteful and perilous U.S. nuclear weapons modernization plans By Dan Vergano edited by Jeanna Bryner Keep in touch with the Argonaut: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Dan Vergano Famously…
AI’s Energy Demands Threaten a Nuclear Waste Nightmare
Opinion AI’s Energy Demands Threaten a Nuclear Waste Nightmare Reviving nuclear power plants to power AI threatens an avalanche of nuclear waste By Michael Riordan edited by Dan Vergano Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania was shutdown following the partial meltdown of its Unit 2 reactor (TMI-2) on March…
Investigation into the fatal plane-helicopter crash. And, future of nuclear testing
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Federal investigators have retrieved the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from the American Airlines jet that collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter Wednesday night. The…
When Carter met Kim – and stopped a nuclear war
Three decades ago, the world was on the brink of a nuclear showdown – until Jimmy Carter showed up in North Korea. In June 1994, the former US president arrived for talks in Pyongyang with then leader Kim Il-sung. It was unprecedented, marking the first time a former or sitting US president had visited. But…
Japanese crime leader pleads guilty to conspiring to sell nuclear materials to Iran
By The Associated Press NEW YORK — The purported leader of a Japan-based crime syndicate pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges alleging that he conspired to traffic uranium and plutonium from Myanmar in the belief that Iran would use it for nuclear weapons. Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, of Japan, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to…
Japanese yakuza leader pleads guilty to trafficking nuclear materials from Myanmar
US authorities charged Takeshi Ebisawa with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials from Myanmar for expected use by Iran in nuclear weapons A member of the Japanese criminal underworld has pleaded guilty to handling nuclear material sourced from Myanmar and seeking to sell it to fund an illicit arms deal, US authorities have said. Yakuza leader…
Will the World’s First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Be Built in Virginia? Here’s Why We’re Skeptical
Will the World’s First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Be Built in Virginia? Here’s Why We’re Skeptical A fusion power plant will go live in the next decade and produce 400 megawatts of electricity, Commonwealth Fusion Systems says By Ben Guarino edited by Dean Visser Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ new fusion power plant is expected to come…