Nuclear Weapons

List of Nuclear Weapons articles

Ukrainian service members of the Adam tactical group ride a T-64 tank toward a front line near the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.
Ukrainian service members of the Adam tactical group ride a T-64 tank toward a front line near the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

Is Ukraine’s Spring Offensive Already Underway?

Military analyst Dara Massicot on how to follow the next phase of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A mushroom cloud erupts in front of a dark sky as a French test causes a nuclear explosion in the Mururoa atoll in French Polynesia in 1971.
A mushroom cloud erupts in front of a dark sky as a French test causes a nuclear explosion in the Mururoa atoll in French Polynesia in 1971.

Nuclear Tests May Be Back on Moscow’s Agenda

Aging weapons and domestic politics could lead to a return to explosive testing.

In a photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, nuclear technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit as officials and media visit the site in 2019.
In a photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, nuclear technicians work at the Arak heavy water reactor's secondary circuit as officials and media visit the site in 2019.

What Most People Get Wrong About the Iran Nuclear Deal

It ensured that even in the worst-case scenario, Iran would be proliferating from a lower baseline.

Yoon and Biden cheers with wine glasses.
Yoon and Biden cheers with wine glasses.

Why Biden and Yoon’s Agreement Is a Big Deal

Reassuring allies prevents nuclear proliferation and is a win for Team USA.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sings into a mic alongside U.S. President Joe Biden during a state dinner at the White House on April 26.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sings into a mic alongside U.S. President Joe Biden during a state dinner at the White House on April 26.
Activists protest near the Presidential Office in Seoul on April 21, ahead of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s planned visit to Washington.
Activists protest near the Presidential Office in Seoul on April 21, ahead of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s planned visit to Washington.

A Nuclear South Korea Is a Dangerous Miscalculation

At their upcoming summit, Biden needs to let Yoon know there would be consequences for breaking Seoul’s nonproliferation promises.

Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sit atop a tank in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, on April 20, 2023.
Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sit atop a tank in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, on April 20, 2023.

When Fighting Is More Rational Than Peacemaking

Sudan’s power struggle is a textbook case of the credible commitment problem in international relations.

People watch a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test at a railway station in Seoul.
People watch a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test at a railway station in Seoul.

How North Korea’s Hackers Bankroll Its Quest for the Bomb

Cybercrime is a windfall for Kim Jong Un’s nuclear ambitions.

James Stavridis, a former supreme allied commander Europe of NATO, moderates a panel talk at the 2018 Munich Security Conference.
James Stavridis, a former supreme allied commander Europe of NATO, moderates a panel talk at the 2018 Munich Security Conference.

Why Putin Won’t Use Nuclear Weapons

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis makes the case for giving Ukraine the weapons it needs to the end the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to chair a U.N. Security Council meeting via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 31.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to chair a U.N. Security Council meeting via a video link at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 31.

Nuclear Blackmail Is a Sign of Russia’s Declining Power

Moscow can no longer both cooperate and compete on the global stage.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, give three cheers during the 104th Independence Movement Day ceremony in Seoul.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, give three cheers during the 104th Independence Movement Day ceremony in Seoul.

South Korea Could Get Away With the Bomb

The global norm against nuclear proliferation is strong, but Seoul’s political and economic ties are stronger.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) attends a press conference with Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (L) at the foreign ministry headquarters in Iran's capital Tehran on June 25, 2022.
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) attends a press conference with Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (L) at the foreign ministry headquarters in Iran's capital Tehran on June 25, 2022.

The West Must Do More to Prevent Conflict With Iran

Washington is right to counter Iran's brutality at home and abroad, but that shouldn't stop it from engaging with an adversary to preserve regional peace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference center in central Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state-of-the-nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference center in central Moscow.

Putin’s New START Announcement and the Future of Arms Control

Russia and the United States hold about 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons. What happens when they’re no longer talking?

A North Korean Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile lifts off from an undisclosed location near Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 29, 2017.
A North Korean Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile lifts off from an undisclosed location near Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 29, 2017.

When the Same North Korea Policy Fails Over and Over Again

A veteran negotiator explains how Washington’s attempts at nonproliferation floundered.

Dongfeng-41 intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles during a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019.
Dongfeng-41 intercontinental strategic nuclear missiles during a military parade celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019.

The United States and China Still Need to Talk About Nuclear Weapons

Biden and Blinken must not let the spy balloon controversy stand in the way of talks on nuclear crisis management and arms control.

A high-altitude balloon floats in a blue sky.
A high-altitude balloon floats in a blue sky.

How a Chinese Spy Balloon Blew Up a Key U.S. Diplomatic Trip

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed a visit to Beijing in response to a suspected spy balloon over U.S. territory.

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