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The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is the Council’s affiliated 501(c)(3) research organization. |
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REMINDER: JOIN US VIRTUALLY FOR OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE OCTOBER 7 The Center’s annual conference is 10 days away and we’d love for you to attend virtually from the remote location of your choice! Join us October 7 from 4:30-7 p.m. eastern as our esteemed slate of speakers and panelists seek to answer one critical question: How do we reverse rising nuclear tensions and prevent an imminent return to a dangerous global arms race? Our event will feature two panels, the first addressing the need for responsible engagement with artificial intelligence in nuclear command, control and communications systems, and the second discussing the need for responsible engagement and diplomacy with allies and adversaries. Our speakers include Rep. Don Beyer, one of the co-founders of the congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group; former Assistant Secretary of State Mallory Stewart, and other technology and foreign policy experts. Learn more and register for our annual conference, Getting Off the Collision Course: The Case Against Arms Racing, today. |
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IRAN FACES ‘SNAPBACK’ SANCTIONS AFTER DEADLINE PASSES Last month, European parties to the JCPOA, better known as the Iran nuclear deal, offered Iran an extension of the “snapback” deadline for the reimposition of sanctions if Iran allowed access for international inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and engaged in diplomatic talks on various topics of concern including its stock of enriched uranium. The deadline for the extension was today, and, according to the European parties, Iran did not meet the necessary requirements to stave off reimposition of sanctions. On September 19, the UN Security Council rejected a draft resolution to permanently lift sanctions on Iran, which was backed by Russia and China. Iranian officials had one last opportunity for engagement at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York City this week. On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly that “Iran has never sought and will never seek to build a nuclear bomb. We do not seek nuclear weapons.” IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi shared that IAEA inspectors were en route to Iran had Tehran and the E3 strike a deal by today’s deadline. |
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IMPENDING NEW START EXPIRATION SPURS ACTION AND CAUTION The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is set to expire in February 2026. This treaty is the last strategic arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers. On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Russia and the United States could continue to observe the treaty’s central limits for another year. Although such a step would allow time to work on a follow-on, such was not part of the Russian suggestion. As of publication of this newsletter, the Trump administration has not publicly responded to this offer. Russia, at any rate, has little option with its economy in disarray and conventional forces requiring available resources. It is important to note, however, that even the existence of dialogue around arms control is encouraging. |
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AT UNITED NATIONS, TRUMP INSULTS COUNTRIES BUT CALLS FOR END TO BIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS In remarks that lasted about an hour — roughly three times more than he was allotted — President Donald Trump bashed the United Nations, criticized the global response to the climate change “con job” and told world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday morning that their countries were “going to hell.” One theoretical bright spot for our issues in his speech: his administration is proposing an international effort to enforce the biological weapons convention using an artificial intelligence verification system. After calling on every nation to end the development of biological weapons once and for all, Trump also said he wants to “have a cessation of the development of nuclear weapons. I look at weapons that are so powerful that we just can’t ever use them. If we ever use them, the world literally might come to an end.” These words reflect similar sentiments he has expressed in the past, but unfortunately do not align with the lack of actions to reduce nuclear risks. |
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NORTH KOREA ACTIVELY EXPANDS ITS MISSILE PRODUCTION AND DEPLOYMENT In early September, Kim Jong Un personally inspected a new missile production line, which North Korean state media described as part of an effort to boost output of “advanced” delivery systems. The visit reinforced messaging that North Korea is not only holding on to its nuclear arsenal but actively expanding its ability to produce and deploy missiles in larger numbers. By mid-month, Pyongyang again declared that its nuclear weapons status is “irreversible,” brushing aside any suggestion of future disarmament talks. |
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TRUMP NOW SEEMS TO BACK UKRAINE IN CONFLICT AS TENSIONS INCREASE President Trump has apparently flipped his position on the war in Ukraine after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Trump is now saying that he believes Ukraine can win the war and take back all the territory taken from it in Russia’s invasion. In doing so, the President was careful to specify that Ukraine could do so with European assistance, notably distancing the United States. Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are non-existent as Russian nuclear intimidation continues, with NATO accusing Russia of violating the airspace of member states Poland and Estonia. |
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INDIA’S CURRENT STRATEGY: WORK WITH BOTH UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA India surprised no one this month by joining Russia and Belarus in military exercises, a move seen by some as evidence of growing strategic hedging at a time of visible strain in its ties with the United States. The drills featured both conventional and nuclear-capable forces, with New Delhi publicly downplaying their significance even as they drew scrutiny from U.S. officials. Meanwhile, India finalized a long-anticipated civilian nuclear technology transfer agreement — or 123 Agreement — with the United States, highlighting the dual-track nature of its current policy by seeking closer nuclear cooperation with Washington while simultaneously signaling independence through participation in Russian-led exercises. Indian defense officials also confirmed plans are under review to construct a third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. |
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PAKISTAN, SAUDI ARABIA SIGN DEAL PROMISING NUCLEAR COOPERATION On September 17, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a sweeping mutual defense pact, an agreement notable both for its timing and its scope. While the details remain sparse, the pact commits both countries to mutual security guarantees, with particular emphasis on military and nuclear cooperation. The agreement was quickly interpreted as Riyadh moving closer to a formal security umbrella under Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities, something Pakistani officials appear to support. Regional analysts noted that the pact may complicate U.S. and Western non-proliferation efforts while deepening the security interdependence between Islamabad and Riyadh. Even more concerning is that Saudi Arabia has implied it could acquire nuclear weapons should Iran do so, especially in light of Pakistan’s history of supporting proliferation. |
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CHINA DEBUTS NUCLEAR TRIAD WITH GLOBAL REACH China’s September 3 military parade was its most explicit nuclear showcase in years, unveiling both its nuclear triad and a new intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-61. State coverage presented the DF-61 as a next-generation replacement to older systems, though Western analysts stressed the lack of technical detail and the political messaging of its debut. The parade was framed around deterrence against the United States. Chinese media emphasized that the country now fields land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear delivery systems capable of global reach, a point echoed by Chinese commentary that typically accused Washington of threatening stability through alliances and deployments in Asia. This followed late August remarks by Chinese officials rejecting proposals for trilateral nuclear disarmament talks with the United States and Russia, calling such discussions “unreasonable” and, as usual, insisting that Beijing’s arsenal remains far smaller than those of Washington and Moscow while overlooking China’s nuclear buildup. |
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HOUSE PASSES DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL AS SENATE REMAINS STALLED The House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this month in a 231-196 vote. Seventeen Democrats voted in favor while four Republicans voted against passage. Once again, there was little debate on nuclear weapons issues as House Republican leadership severely limited the number of amendments that were debated on the House Floor. Most of the Democratic “no” votes came after the adoption on the House floor of many divisive non-defense provisions and due to Republicans’ unwillingness to even debate other relevant issues like President Donald Trump’s domestic National Guard deployments. Some bright spots included a bipartisan vote in favor of the repeal of authorizations for military force granted in 2002 and 1991 — covering the Iraq War and the first Gulf War, respectively. Forty-nine Republicans joined 212 Democrats voting “yes.” A similar measure passed the Democratic-controlled Senate in 2023, with the support of 48 Democrats and 18 Republicans. It remains to be seen whether the provision can survive the NDAA conference. An amendment by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to prohibit assistance to Ukraine was strongly rejected 60-372 and her amendment to block foreign aid funding for Taiwan lost by an overwhelming 9-422. The Senate, meanwhile, has not yet completed action on its version of the NDAA. The longer the legislation stalls on the Senate Floor, the more likely it is that the Senate will follow its recent trend of moving immediately to an “informal” conference with the House to pass a final NDAA later this year. To see the nuclear provisions included in the NDAA, check out the Center’s analyses of the committee-passed versions of the House and Senate legislation. |
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN POSSIBLE IF AGREEMENT ON CONTINUING RESOLUTION ISN’T REACHED
Work has all but come to a halt on government funding as the end of the fiscal year approaches. House Republicans passed a “clean” continuing resolution but Democrats in the Senate refused to go along without an extension of healthcare tax credits included as part of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
As a reminder, the government is already operating under a full-year continuing resolution as Congress was unable and unwilling to pass government funding ahead of the elections in 2024.
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MEMBERS OF CONGRESS DEMAND ANSWERS ABOUT STATE DEPARTMENT FIRING NUCLEAR DIPLOMATS Members of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 24 demanding answers and expressing their concern over recent firings of senior career nuclear experts at the Department of State. In their letter, the Members write: “In diplomacy — perhaps more than in any other domain — expertise, institutional memory, and trusted relationships are irreplaceable. We are concerned that reductions in force have been non-methodical, chaotic, and have the potential to undermine national security. At a time of heightened global instability, retaining technical knowledge in nuclear and chemical threat reduction is not only prudent but essential to U.S. national security.” Council for a Livable World is proud to support these Members in their effort and values their leadership in countering bad policies emanating from this administration and lack of action from current congressional leadership. |
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NEW ON THE NUKES OF HAZARD BLOG: LISTENING TO THE INDO-PACIFIC; PENTAGON’S WAR ON JOURNALISM; REIMAGINING THE PELINDABA TREATY; A TREATY FOR NUCLEAR COMMAND AND CONTROL? “We Keep Talking About the Indo-Pacific. So I Went and Listened:” Research Analyst Shawn Rostker recently traveled to Japan as part of the 2025 Young Trilateral Leaders Summit. Acknowledging that many in Washington often talk about the Indo-Pacific in terms of its strategic importance, contested future and the role the United States should play in shaping it, he wanted to listen to people from the region instead. Their concerns surprised him and, he believes, “Washington ignores these voices at its own risk.” “Pentagon’s War on Journalism is One More Way to Hide Costs, Bad Programs and Realities of Conflict:” Communications Director and former journalist Anna Schumann writes that sometimes there are good reasons for the Pentagon to be tight-lipped about the information it shares, but new restrictions on Pentagon reporters are alarming. What do these restrictions have to do with Council issues like nuclear weapons and security spending? Everything. “Reimagining the Pelindaba Treaty: Africa’s Role in a New Arms Control Era:” As part of our Next Up in Arms Control blog series for young and underrepresented voices, Nkazimulo Moyeni, a South African lawyer and founder and president of the African Nuclear Law Association, writes that the Treaty of Pelindaba, which created a nuclear-weapon-free-zone across the continent, can be reimagined to allow Africa to become a strategic actor in shaping a more inclusive and development-sensitive global arms control architecture. “Attacking the Brain: Why NC3 Needs a Treaty:” As part of our Next Up in Arms Control blog series for young and underrepresented voices, George Washington University graduate student Roc Iore, a former Swiss Army officer, argues that the next generation of arms control agreements should include NC3 — nuclear command, control and communications systems. “The fact that the NC3 is simultaneously so crucial in ‘moving’ the triad and not covered by any formal international agreement is a significant escalation risk and a shortcoming of the current situation,” he writes. |
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COUNCIL ENDORSES FIRST CANDIDATES IN 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS Council for a Livable World is thrilled to announce its first two endorsements of the 2026 election cycle: Reps. John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Don Beyer (D-VA-08). Both Congressmen are leading voices on Council issues and are the House co-founders of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group. Bookmark this page for the next 14 months so you can quickly and easily donate to each of our endorsed candidates as well as the Council individually or more than one at a time. |
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CONSIDER BECOMING A MONTHLY DONOR As election season nears, the Council is also hard at work on its advocacy on Capitol Hill. Have you considered making a monthly donation to support our efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear threats through political action? You can donate as little as $1 a month. Become a monthly supporter today!
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