US-Russia
Obama to call for U.S.-Russia nuclear arms reduction
Kathleen Hennessey, The Los Angeles Times — June 19, 2013
In a speech at the Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday, Obama will say he wants to go beyond reductions outlined in the New START treaty, seeking an additional one-third cut in the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads in the U.S. arsenal, if the Russians agree to do the same, a senior administration official said Wednesday.
New U.S.-Russian Security Deal Greatly Scales Back Scope, Experts Say
Douglas P. Guarino, Global Security Newswire — June 18, 2013
U.S. efforts to dismantle and secure nuclear and chemical weapons in Russia will be substantially limited under a new bilateral agreement the White House announced Monday, experts say.
Iran
Rohani once approved of hiding Iran atomic work
Louis Charbonneau, Reuters — June 19, 2013
Years before he became Iran’s president-elect, Hassan Rohani spoke approvingly about concealing his nation’s nuclear program and said that when Pakistan got atomic bombs and Brazil began enriching uranium, “the world started to work with them.”
Rohani Pledges to Make Iran Nuclear Program More Transparent
Ladane Nasseri, Bloomberg — June 18, 2013
Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani said he will make the country’s nuclear program more transparent as he seeks to ease tension with the U.S. and reduce “brutal” sanctions that have crippled the economy.
Op-Ed: How to End the Stalemate With Iran
Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Mohammad Ali Shabani, New York Times — June 18, 2013
The stunning election of a pragmatic former Iranian nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, has offered the Obama administration a once-in-a-lifetime chance to end the atomic stalemate with Iran.
The two surprisingly small but notoriously difficult issues standing between the U.S. and Iran
Max Fisher, The Washington Post — June 18, 2013
It’s only Tuesday, and already both President Obama and new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have made comments this week hinting at their willingness to hold direct talks over the nuclear standoff that has created such antagonism between their countries. It’s a promising sign. And both leaders might find that their end goals are actually quite similar. The big challenge actually has much more to do with process and domestic politics than with the contours of a deal.
North Korea
China, North Korea holding strategic talks following tensions, North’s offer of talks with US
The Associated Press — June 19, 2013
Negotiators from North Korea and China held strategic talks in Beijing on Wednesday as they work to repair strained relations, but offered little indication they will lead to a resumption of nuclear disarmament talks any time soon.
North Korea nuclear test still shrouded in mystery
Fredrik Dahl, Reuters — June 18, 2013
The outside world may never find out what type of fissile material North Korea used in its nuclear test four months ago, leaving a key question about the explosion unanswered, officials and experts said on Tuesday.
North Korea Offers Direct Talks with US
Scott Stearns, Voice of America — June 18, 2013
The United States says it is open to North Korea’s offer of direct talks, but only after Pyongyang takes concrete action to end its nuclear weapons program.
Analysts: North Korea talks follow well-worn path
Peter Shadbolt, CNN — June 19, 2013
North Korea’s bipolar swings between nuclear provocation and fawning overtures for talks now form part of a familiar pattern.
