End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 19, 2025

---

On My Mind Today:

As I’ve suspected and warned, Trump’s short-sighted and childish power play on an overnight weekend “old west quick-draw” non-nuclear attack on Iran could be the most critically dangerous in nuclear history since the WWII bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, and far worse because the entire world is essentially capable of starting and fighting a nuclear war that could last only a few hours to successfully create armageddon. There are 9 countries that possess nuclear weapons of mass destruction and others who are allies of those without — including those such as Iran.

Iran has decided that, because of Trump’s bombing of their own nuclear power facilities they can do the same thing — and it does not necessarily require the use of nuclear weapons, but no doubt such a conventional bombing would be quickly followed up by nuclear war.

Also, for anyone who has doubted that nuclear power plants are not nuclear weapons of mass destruction and nuclear war, as I have long logically pointed out, are now likely doubly involved in nuclear war, not to mention international terrorism as well.

Trump was the one who suggested that the USA negotiate a new nuclear facility agreement with Iran, which they agreed to, but then Trump sabotaged his own offer of negotiation. In other words he is now singularly responsible for an additional and very sensitive world-wide nuclear problem that, in my opinion, cannot help but create a nuclear war that may well begin and end the last war on planet Earth because there will be no-one left alive to fight one . . . ~llaw

Today’s Featured Article: (From The South China Morning Post by the Associated Press if you are using a dark screen.)

United States

WorldMiddle East

Iran withdraws resolution banning attacks on nuclear sites amid US threat

Washington raised the possibility of reducing funding to the UN nuclear watchdog if the proposal was adopted

Reading Time:3 minutes

Associated Press

Published: 10:00am, 19 Sep 2025Updated: 10:23am, 19 Sep 2025

Iran decided at the last minute on Thursday to withdraw a resolution prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities that it had put forward along with China, Russia and other countries for a vote before an annual gathering of the UN nuclear watchdog’s member nations.

Western diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the US has been heavily lobbying behind the scenes to prevent the resolution from being adopted. The US has raised the possibility of reducing funding to the International Atomic Energy Agency if the resolution was adopted and if the body moved to curtail Israel’s rights within the agency, the diplomats said.

In 1981, the provision of assistance to Israel under the IAEA’s technical assistance programme was suspended as a result of an Israeli strike on a nuclear reactor in Iraq. At the time, the attack was strongly condemned in resolutions by the United Nations Security Council, the IAEA General Conference and the IAEA Board of Governors.

The resolution withdrawal comes as US allies have started the clock on reimposing UN sanctions on Iran over it’s nuclear programme.

Addressing the IAEA’s General Conference late on Thursday, Iran’s Ambassador to the UN Reza Najafi announced that “guided by the spirit of goodwill and constructive engagement, and at the request of several member states”, it deferred action on the draft until next year’s conference.

Israel targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites in June, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons and that it feared the Islamic republic was close. The US inserted itself into the war on June 22, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is peaceful.

03:07

What’s known about the 3 Iranian nuclear sites hit by US bunker-buster bombs

What’s known about the 3 Iranian nuclear sites hit by US bunker-buster bombs

The text of Iran’s draft resolution contained a paragraph that “strongly condemned” the “deliberate and unlawful attacks carried out in June 2025 against nuclear sites and facilities of the Islamic republic of Iran”, adding that it constituted a “clear violation of international law”.

It also “reaffirmed” that “all states must refrain from attacking or threatening to attack peaceful nuclear facilities in other countries”.

Najafi said the objective by Iran and the other cosponsors of the resolution, including Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Belarus and Zimbabwe, “has never been to create division among member states”, adding that “on matters of such importance and sensitivity, it is imperative that the general conference conveys a unified and unambiguous message”.

He added, “We firmly believe that the voice of this body should not be distorted under the weight of the intimidation and political pressure exerted by one of the aggressors.”

Speaking at the IAEA General Conference earlier this week, the head of Iran’s civilian atomic energy organisation, Mohammad Eslami, said he expected IAEA member states to “take appropriate measures in response to these unlawful attacks on nuclear facilities”.

He said the “recent threats made by the United States in this regard, as well as the exertion of political pressure on countries and the instrumental use of the agency in various forms, including through influence on its budget, are matters of serious concern”.

Howard Solomon, the US charge d’affaires and acting permanent representative at the US Mission to International Organisations in Vienna, said the draft resolution “painted a deeply inaccurate picture of recent events, distorted international law and selectively quoted from the IAEA statute and other documents adopted by the IAEA General Conference and UN, taking them out of context and drawing inaccurate conclusions”.

Had the resolution been put to a vote, “it would have been overwhelmingly defeated”, he said.

04:09

Israel launches strikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities in Tehran

Israel launches strikes on Iran, targeting nuclear facilities in Tehran

Solomon said that “the grave and growing threat to Israel and the region created by Iran’s enrichment programme necessitated strong and decisive action directed by President Trump”, adding that the US did not “take this action lightly”.

A request for comment has been sent to the US State Department and the US Mission to the International Organisations in Vienna.

The IAEA General Conference consists of high-ranking representatives of the 180 member states of the UN nuclear watchdog who debate issues of international nuclear policy. It meets annually in Vienna, approves the budget and considers resolutions on nuclear safety and security issues.

The meeting came at a sensitive time, with France, Germany and the United Kingdom launching the process to reimpose sanctions on Iran over what they deemed non-compliance with a 2015 agreement aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

The process, termed a “snapback” by the diplomats who negotiated it into Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, was designed to be veto-proof at the UN and could take effect in a month.

The move set a 30-day clock for the resumption of sanctions unless the West and Iran reach a diplomatic agreement.

European nations have said they would be willing to extend the deadline if Iran resumes direct negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme, allows UN nuclear inspectors access to its nuclear sites, and accounts for the more than 400kg of highly enriched uranium the UN watchdog says it has.

When asked in an interview on Israel’s Channel 12 on Thursday whether the snapback was a done deal, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “Yes. I think so because the latest news we had from the Iranians is not serious.”

Further Reading

An ‘Arab Nato’? Israel’s air strikes on Qatar may have just brought it to life

Iran and UN nuclear watchdog pave way for resuming cooperation

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Friday, (09/18/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Under MOU, London and D.C. seek to shed dependence on Russian nuclear fuel

ExchangeMonitor

… nuclear energy to artificial intelligence. While the deal between the Trans-Atlantic allies seeks to deepen collaboration on all–things–nuclear …

Senate GOP confirms 48 Trump nominees under ‘nuclear‘ move – Live Updates – POLITICO

Politico

The officials emphasized that violent crime was down in the District and that there were things … all of the horrible policies that they’re cooking up …

Snapback sanctions threaten to further derail Iran nuclear deal hopes – Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council

That is because allowing the provision to expire would remove Iran’s nuclear … All rights reserved. Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy · Terms ..

Nuclear Power

NEWS

5 Reasons Why Expanding Nuclear is a Terrible Idea – Food & Water Watch

Food & Water Watch

Nuclear energy comes from the toxic, radioactive element uranium, which must be mined from the ground. As you can imagine, mining, enriching, …

Trump, Starmer sign $350B tech deal to spur AI, nuclear energy and quantum computing

New York Post

The deal would also provide power for up to 1.5 million homes — with both nations optimistic the civil nuclear project will serve energy needs on both …

US Department of Energy to co-host 2026 edition of Roadmaps to New Nuclear conference

Nuclear Energy Agency

… nuclear energy in pursuit of global energy security and economic development. Demand for nuclear energy is on the rise globally, with a growing …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Live near Hope Creek nuclear plant? DEMA to offer potassium iodide pills – Delaware Online

Delaware Online

And it’s all about 2 miles away from Delaware, across the Delaware River. Looking to such neighbors, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the …

Power line failure paralyzes reactor block in Beznau 1 | blue News – Bluewin

Bluewin

A defective extra-high voltage line led to an unplanned emergency shutdown of Block 1 of the Beznau nuclear power plant on Thursday.

Gangeung set for drought relief with Doam Dam water release – Korea JoongAng Daily

Korea JoongAng Daily

… emergency water released from the Doam Dam on Saturday. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) will carry out the emergency release from a diversion …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Snapback sanctions threaten to further derail Iran nuclear deal hopes – Atlantic Council

Atlantic Council

Iran is severely weakened by the decimation of its air defenses as well as its nuclear sites as part of the Twelve-Day War this summer. … threat of a …

Britain’s outgoing spy chief highlights Russia, China and Iran as threats – WTOP News

WTOP

… threats facing the West as he prepares to … The war also derailed Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with the United States and prompted Iran to …

Iran withdraws resolution banning attacks on nuclear sites amid US threat

South China Morning Post

The US inserted itself into the war on June 22, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities. … He said the “recent threats made by the United States in …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Trump’s ‘Let Me Down’ Jab At Putin Backfires? Russia Unleashes Nuclear Submarines | Ukraine War

YouTube

Russia’s Krasnoyarsk and Omsk nuclear submarines launched cruise missiles in the Sea of Okhotsk amid Trump’s frustrated remarks on Ukraine peace …

Top US utility bets big on new nuclear technology as AI demand grows – Financial Times

Financial Times

War in Ukraine · Americas · Middle East & North Africa. Most Read. PwC cuts … Compared with nuclear power derived from fission, which all current …

Russian Nuclear Subs Launch Cruise Missiles in Sea of Okhotsk | Massive Pacific Fleet Drills | APT

YouTube

Russian nuclear submarines Krasnoyarsk and Omsk successfully … Russia ENTERS US-Venezuela War? ‘DEAL DONE’: Putin’s Big Assurance To …

Iran withdraws resolution to ban attacks on nuclear sites following U.S. pressure

NBC News

At the time, the attack was strongly condemned in resolutions by the U.N. Security Council, the IAEA General Conference and the IAEA Board of …

Iran Reacts to Rubio’s Nuclear Missiles Comments – Newsweek

Newsweek

… nuclear Iran” posed a serious security risk. Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran’s Foreign … Israel at War Vladimir Putin Russia-Ukraine War Donald Trump.

Pakistan Opens Nuclear Weapons Program to Saudi Arabia – Newsweek

Newsweek

… attack on one nation would be an attack on both. Its nuclear dimension raises the risk of a nuclear war in the Middle East at a time when the …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Scientists find ‘breathing’ magma cap inside Yellowstone supervolcano – MSN

MSN

Yellowstone’s supervolcano appears to have a magma cap that vents pressure and reduces the chances of a massive eruption happening anytime soon.

IAEA Weekly News

19 September 2025

Read the top news from this week’s 69th IAEA General Conference. Discover more stories and highlights on our blog and IAEA.org.

19 September 2025

Week in Review: 69th General Conference

The 69th annual IAEA General Conference is coming to a close, with final discussions around possible resolutions likely to last into the evening. Read more →

18 September 2025

Five Reasons to Visit the New IAEA Visitor Centre

Step into the new IAEA Visitor Centre in Seibersdorf, Austria, and discover how nuclear science delivers solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges — from food security and clean energy to climate action and global health. Read more →

18 September 2025

New IAEA Visitor Centre Inaugurated in Lower Austria

Located just outside Vienna, the new visitor centre provides a deeper understanding of nuclear science, its peaceful uses, and the IAEA’s global mission. Read more →

18 September 2025

Scientific Forum Highlights Nuclear Solutions for Water Sustainability

This year’s IAEA Scientific Forum has highlighted how nuclear sciences and isotope hydrology are advancing solutions to global water challenges. Read more →

16 September 2025

Update 314 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

The IAEA team based at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) reported hearing shelling close to the site today and saw black smoke rising from three locations nearby, in the latest incident highlighting continuous nuclear safety risks during the military conflict, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said. Read more →

16 September 2025

IAEA Unveils Transportable E-beam System to Boost Global Access to the Innovative Technology

A new transportable electron beam system was launched at the IAEA today, housed in shipping containers that can be loaned out for training or experiments. Read more →

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 18, 2025

---

(See story for photo credit ~llaw)

On My Mind Today:

For the life of me, I cannot understand that the majority of humanity cannot understand or maybe doesn’t care, or is perhaps too put-on-busy or sloth-like lazy to care, about what we are on the verge of doing to ourselves. It should be a simple axiom of life– like a natural urge to survive in a cooperative gentle and peaceful way.

Most animals adhere to survival in their own way, but for humanity, at least, the obvious choice, but seldom followed, is to come together in a common cause that offers us love and freedom of life rather than hatred and selfish acts of war and threats of war. We should have realized that basic axiom — equals added to equals are equal — long, long, ago. Why we haven’t come together in natural unison is incredibly puzzling . . .

Just remember one nuclear bomb from one agitated overzealous country with short-sighted leadership is the ultimate in-vogue method to destroy most all life on our dear misused planet Earth. It is called self-extinction. ~llaw

Today’s Featured Article:

WXXI News

Where have all the nuclear protesters gone?

WXXI News | By Evan Dawson,

Elissa Orlando, Julie Williams

Published September 18, 2025 at 10:26 AM EDT

WXXI News

Students at the University of Rochester set up tents early Tuesday morning on the Wilson Quad in front of the Student Union. The students plan to remain in the encampment to protesting the war in Gaza.

12:00 Where have all the nuclear protesters gone?

1:00 Latin film series

In the 1980s, students practiced getting underneath their desks in the case of a nuclear attack. Protests routinely focused on the threat of nuclear war and the need for non-proliferation. Today, the concern about nuclear war is barely mentioned — even though a growing list of countries wants to join the nuclear club. Why is that? Our guests will discuss the change in public concern, and how they view the nuclear threat today.

Our guests:

• Holly Adams, member of Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace and steering committee member of Peace Action New York State
• Rev. James L Swarts, president of Veterans For Peace, Chapter 23, Rochester
• Timmon Wallis, executive director of Nuclear Ban US, national coordinator of the Warheads to Windmills Coalition and author of “Nuclear Abolition: A Scenario”

Then in our second hour, we go to the movies with a discussion about the Presente Latin Film Series. The Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum will host the series for the next month. It’s meant to be a celebration of Latin culture, history, and contributions to film. We’ll talk about what films will be featured in the series; concerns about whitewashing Latinas in American film; allegations of whitewashing Latin horror films; and more.

In studio:

• Jason Barber, Presente Latin Film Series
• Jared Case, curator of film exhibitions at the Dryden Theatre
• Cielo Ornelas MacFarlane, visual artist
• Annette Ramos, executive director of the Rochester Latino Theatre Company

“Connections with Evan Dawson” is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.

Connections

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Email

Evan Dawson

Evan Dawson is the host of “Connections with Evan Dawson.” He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.

See stories by Evan Dawson

Elissa Orlando

Elissa Orlando is a producer for “Connections with Evan Dawson.” She returns part-time to WXXI News after stepping back from a long career in public media and in translational science.

See stories by Elissa Orlando

Julie Williams

Julie Williams is an associate producer for “Connections with Evan Dawson.” She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.

See stories by Julie Williams

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Thursday, (09/17/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Where have all the nuclear protesters gone? – WXXI News

WXXI News

Protests routinely focused on the threat of nuclear war and the need for non-proliferation. Today, the concern about nuclear war is barely mentioned — …

US and UK sign major nuclear power deal: What does it include? – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

The UK currently has eight nuclear power stations, all managed by EDF Energy. … The global average for building a nuclear reactor is about seven years …

Updating the ‘Atoms for Peace’ bargain for the new nuclear age

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Revelations about the Iraqi and North Korean nuclear programs in the … [4] Most, but not all, non-nuclear weapon states have agreed to the …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Are the stars finally aligning for the ‘new golden age’ of nuclear? | Nils Pratley

The Guardian

Let’s not be too cynical about the US-UK agreement to build new power plants – but costs must fall if nuclear is to make headway.

US and UK sign major nuclear power deal: What does it include? – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

The multibillion-pound deal will build up to 12 modern nuclear reactors in northeast England and power data centres.

The US wants to ‘triple or quadruple’ nuclear energy by 2050, expert says – Fox Business

Fox Business

Nano Nuclear Energy founder Jay Yu joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss his company’s mission to mass-produce nuclear energy and how he plans to …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

New technology to enhance safety near Xcel Energy’s nuclear plants – Patriot News MN

Patriot News MN

Xcel Energy has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM) division to use mobile …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Don’t Make a Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile a Priority – War on the Rocks

War on the Rocks

… nuclear threats. While American … This is because the main purpose of theater nuclear weapons is to threaten escalation to all-out nuclear war.

The Fallacy of Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons: A South Asian Spotlight

orfonline.org

Low-yield nuclear weapons risk lowering the nuclear threshold in South Asia. Explore their dangers, doctrines, and global implications for …

Threats from enemies persist: Iran nuclear chief – Mehr News Agency

Mehr News Agency

TEHRAN, Sep. 18 (MNA) – The head of Iran’s nuclear agency says threats … nuclear facilities have come under military attack.” He reiterated …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Saudi Arabia Signs a Mutual Defense Pact with Nuclear-Armed Pakistan After Israel’s Attack on Qatar

Military.com

Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan have signed a mutual defense pact that defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both — a key …

As US reliability falters, Saudi Arabia turns to a nuclear-armed ally | CNN

CNN

While the senior Saudi official said the deal was “years” in the making, its timing – just a week after an unprecedented Israeli attack on neighboring …

Saudi Arabia signs mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan | The Times of Israel

The Times of Israel

… nuclear-armed state and has been fighting a multifront war in Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Park geology team retrieves 13000 pieces of trash | Local News – Cody Enterprise

Cody Enterprise

By Margery Price. The Caldera Chronicles. So far in 2025, the Yellowstone Geology team has collected more than 13,000 pieces of trash, …

America’s Heartland rocked by earthquake felt in several US states – MSN

MSN

The Yellowstone Caldera is the 1,350-square-mile crater in the western-central portion of the park that formed when this volcano cataclysmically …

Dukono Volcano (Indonesia) – Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 10 …

Volcano Discovery

List and interactive map of current and past earthquakes near Yellowstone volcano. … Did you know that there are at least 15 active volcanoes in China …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 17, 2025

---

(To see description of Iranian soldier march and photo credits, go to the “Newsweek” post below. ~llaw)

---

On My Mind Today:

The ever-increasing squeeze of onus that the big 3 — the USA, Russia, and China plus U.S. protected Israel — that are agitating friction and fear in the lesser-armed nuclear weapons of mass destruction countries like Iran, North Korea, and to some degree to the others, is creating what I view as an unnecessary and extremely dangerous nuclear war situation.

Instead of looking down on these countries, we urgently need to take them under our wings and support them rather than continue to belittle them, constantly treating them as inferior — no better than the juvenile bullies on the grade-school playground might harass a lower standard of popularity that is considered inferior for all kinds of reasons including social status.

We fail to acknowledge that their own nuclear weapons — although maybe fewer and smaller — are just as likely to begin WWIII as those of the USA, Russia, and China, and in some cases even more likely to create a nuclear war. Any attack on any country, no matter how small would automatically attract a larger, more fully armed, supportive adversary that would also attract another supportive adversary, and international nuclear war would be on, unstoppable, and in little more than hours fatal to most global life, human or otherwise. The rest would suffer for a short while before they, too, would find the comfort of death.

To save human-kind and other life we must reverse our global attitude toward our enemies and immediately, together as one, dedicate our cooperative entire existence to removing forever “all things nuclear” from our lives and make every bit of it all inaccessible for eternity. ~llaw

Today’s Featured Article:

Iran Threatens US With ‘Crushing’ Response

Published Sep 17, 2025 at 9:00 AM EDT

01:00

Iran Test Fires Missiles

By Amir Daftari

News Reporter

Iran has issued a stark warning of potential broader military action following a new wave of U.S. sanctions targeting individuals and companies linked to Tehran’s military programs.

“I can assure you that if the enemy tries to make a move, it will face a crushing and regrettable response,” said senior Iranian army official General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, emphasizing that while Iran has relied primarily on missile strikes, future engagements could extend to other spheres.

Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

Iran’s warning comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East following June’s war with Israel and U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites. Stalled nuclear talks and new American sanctions targeting military funding have tightened the squeeze on Tehran’s economy.

The standoff also threatens regional stability and global energy markets, with rising oil prices and potential supply disruptions raising the stakes worldwide.

What To Know

“We mainly confronted the enemy with missiles, but in a future conflict, if necessary, we will strike across other battlefields,” Pourdastan told local Iranian media.

He stressed that while recent missile attacks targeted Israel and the U.S.-operated Al Udeid air base in Qatar, Iran is ready to broaden its military reach beyond conventional strikes, showcasing both tactical versatility and a firm resolve to counter any perceived threats.

New U.S. Sanctions

Read more Iran

• Iran Executes Accused Israel Spy
• Trump’s Middle East Dilemma
• Iran Calls for Islamic NATO
• Ukraine Launches Drone Barrage on Russian Oil Refinery

Pourdastan’s statement comes as the U.S. imposed a new wave of sanctions targeting Iranian individuals and companies accused of facilitating funding for the country’s military programs. The Treasury Department said the measures focused on networks supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Ministry of Defense, including transactions derived from Iranian oil sales.

Crypto Network

Sanctioned individuals include Iranian nationals Alireza Derakhshan and Arash Estaki Alivand, who allegedly helped the Iranian government purchase $100 million in cryptocurrency. The penalties freeze any of their U.S.-held assets and bar American citizens and companies from conducting business with them. Officials said the move is part of a broader effort to disrupt Iran’s weapons programs, limit military funding, and curb its influence across the region.

Oil ‘To Zero’

U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley emphasized that the administration will continue targeting networks that support Iran’s weapons programs and “malign activities in the Middle East and beyond.” President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated his goal of driving Iran’s oil exports “to zero,” including actions against international networks.

What People Are Saying

Senior Iranian Army Official General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan: “I can assure you that if the enemy tries to make a move, it will face a crushing and regrettable response.”

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley: “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue to disrupt these key financial streams that fund Iran’s weapons programs and malign activities in the Middle East and beyond.”

What Happens Next

Iran’s warnings and U.S. sanctions point to a tense, ongoing standoff. Continued economic pressure is aimed at curbing Iran’s oil exports, while Tehran maintains full military readiness, creating a volatile situation that could escalate if either side miscalculates.

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Wednesday, (09/17/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Key officials oppose Indian Point revival pitch – POLITICO Pro

POLITICO Pro

Why it matters: Under the terms of the legal agreement governing Holtec’s takeover of the closed nuclear plant, all the governmental parties — state, …

Gov. Spencer Cox touts nuclear energy plans for Utah at conference – The Salt Lake Tribune

The Salt Lake Tribune

… nuclear-generated electricity in 1955. “So when people are talking about advanced nuclear systems, pretty much all of those technologies were …

Poland Demands Foreign Nuclear Weapons Amid Rising Russia-NATO Tensions | International

Times of India

… nuclear weapons under NATO’s nuclear sharing programme and develop its own nuclear energy technologies … All About the Football IconBest Business …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Tech companies turn to nuclear power for demanding AI needs as Meta … – Milwaukee Independent

Milwaukee Independent

The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant. The agreement announced in June is just the …

IAEA again raises global nuclear power projections

American Nuclear Society

Noting recent momentum behind nuclear power, the International Atomic Energy Agency has revised up its projections for the expansion of nuclear …

AI’s Energy Crisis: Why Nuclear Power Could Be The Missing Link – Forbes

Forbes

AI’s soaring power needs could overwhelm the grid. Nuclear energy—via small modular reactors and advanced fuel tech—may be the key to sustaining …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Inside the Incident and Emergency Centre | IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

… nuclear or radiological emergencies. On the tour, visitors meet members … Nuclear Energy Series · Human Health Series · Conference Proceedings …

Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins Opposes the Reopening of the Indian Point …

Westchester County Government

211 For Non-Emergencies · Indian Point Safety · LEPC · Contacts · E-Mail the … Nuclear Power Plant in Buchanan. Jenkins said: “Opening this plant …

IAEA recorded shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. What is known – Бабель

Бабель

… power supply to the station and will start emergency diesel generators. But their resources are limited both in terms of operating time and the …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Returning to an Era of Competition and Nuclear Risk – CSIS

CSIS

… nuclear risks that have emerged from the wars in … nuclear threats and signals in apparent attempts to deter Western intervention in the war.

Iran Threatens US With ‘Crushing’ Response – Newsweek

Newsweek

✓ Link copied to clipboard! News · Iran · United States · Tehran · Washington · Sanctions · Threat · War · Donald Trump · State department · Missiles …

Russia shows off conventional and nuclear military might in drills – and raises tensions with NATO

Yahoo News Canada

… nuclear attack. Russian … Frontier risks refer to AI systems that pose potentially significant threats to public safety and social stability.

Nuclear War

NEWS

Russia shows off conventional and nuclear military might in drills — and raises tensions with NATO

WTOP

The Zapad 2025 exercise comes as Russia’s 3½-year-old war in Ukraine has dragged on despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a peace deal and …

Returning to an Era of Competition and Nuclear Risk – CSIS

CSIS

The future of modern warfare will feature increased reliance on nuclear weapons by adversaries and allies. Modern war strategists must develop a …

It’s Time to Rethink US Nuclear Weapons Manufacturing – Union of Concerned Scientists

The Equation – Union of Concerned Scientists

This marks a transition and potential departure from the very successful post-Cold War program of “stockpile stewardship” that has been used to ensure …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Yellowstone volcanic activity is on the move, experts say — but will it erupt anytime soon?

MSN

so-called supervolcano are on the move, experts say. A new study published in Nature suggested that Yellowstone’s magma and other superheated …

What a Yellowstone Eruption Would Look Like – MSN

MSN

Despite widespread fears of a catastrophic “supervolcano” eruption, scientists at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO) have suggested that any …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 08, 2025

The last commercial nuclear power plant in California was scheduled for closure this year, but now it is being allowed to operate for untold more years. Humanity is obviously irresponsible. We used to call such mistakes “shooting ourselves in the foot.” . . .

On My Mind Today:

Keep in mind that this article and the actual event is based on an an actual North Korean simulation attacking its South Korean neighbor with a nuclear weapon. But the simulation is also about retaliation — no matter how small or large — from the defending country. Otherwise there is no simulation at all.

In both cases, though, neither the simulated attack nor the simulated defense of a response are not okay. The thing is, if a simulation is going to be ignored on one side or the other, the simulation is meaningless or useless. Why? In this case because there was no defensive response from South Korea and/or the United States.

Even the most evasive, calm, or timid response — such as “don’t even think about it”, for instance — would have been acceptable, but ignoring it? That is absolutely wrong. And of course the idea of any kind of attack — no matter how limited — from one nation on another is beyond any kind of civilized compassion, but in reality that doesn’t rule nuclear war out because the words “humanitarian” and “human” may actually be an oxymoron.

But an instant loud and clear response from both South Korea and the USA would have been forthcoming were the simulation to have been serious and made real, so why was the scenario ignored? This whole unfinished scenario is not much different than the eventually useless “deterrence” policies and programs among the nuclear armed nations. It may be that the country that runs out of capital 1st will attack 1st.

Yet we all (9 of us) continue to build more nuclear weapons of mass destruction both in quantity and muscle, thinking a standoff of mutual fear among nations will continue forever. This last hope to prevent nuclear war is as insanely stupid as the one-sided North Korean scenario, but candidly, in both cases, demonstrates the stupidity and ignorance of our political and military “leaders”, who are no more thoughtful or intelligent as ten-year-old’s in a typical fight on a grade-school playground fighting over marbles.

The only way we will avoid exterminating ourselves and other life with “all things nuclear” is to be aware, united, and smart enough as cognitive sentient human beings is to — from the 1st day on into eternity— put all uranium and its products back where the uranium came from . . . Today is the 1,039th day, plus a few others, that I have pointed out our coming nuclear end-of-the-world nuclear scenario, but there is no significant response of course, just as the North Korea nuclear attack scenario got no response. Ho-hum! ~llaw

Global Security Review

• Arms Control & Nonproliferation
• Strategic Adversaries
• Allies & Extended Deterrence
• Emerging Threats
• Deterrence & Foreign Policy
• Space Deterrence & Conflict
• Archives

Subscribe

Allies & Extended Deterrence, Archive, Strategic Adversaries

A Nuclear Umbrella in Peril: Lessons from North Korea’s Escalation Scenarios

Ju Hyung Kim20 seconds ago 0 Comments5 Mins Read

• Home
• Strategic Adversaries
• A Nuclear Umbrella in Peril: Lessons from North Korea’s Escalation Scenarios

What happens when the world’s most powerful nuclear arsenal blinks in the face of a nuclear strike? In a recent Atlantic Council “Guardian Tiger” exercise, the United States faced precisely this dilemma. North Korea used a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon against South Korean forces, and Washington chose not to respond with its own nuclear arsenal.

The simulated conflict ended without regime change in Pyongyang, allowing Kim Jong Un to claim a political victory. While avoiding nuclear escalation may seem prudent, such an outcome could deal a lasting blow to the credibility of America’s extended deterrence in East Asia.

The Guardian Tiger scenario should not be dismissed as an academic exercise. It reveals a critical vulnerability in the psychological foundation of deterrence: the perception among adversaries and allies of American willingness to use nuclear weapons in defense of its partners. If allies conclude that Washington will not cross the nuclear threshold even after a nuclear attack, they may question the value of the nuclear umbrella. Adversaries, meanwhile, may learn that nuclear coercion, carefully calibrated, can succeed.

In the simulation, North Korea escalated to a tactical nuclear strike against a South Korean Navy destroyer in the East Sea (Guardian Tiger I) and later against the Chinhae naval base (Guardian Tiger II), home to the Republic of Korea Navy’s Submarine Force Command and occasionally used for allied submarine visits. According to the report, American leaders debated nuclear retaliation but settled on conventional “pulsed” strikes.

In a real-world scenario, such strikes could plausibly involve precision-guided munitions from long-range bombers like the B1-B and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, aimed at targets such as missile transporter-erector launchers, hardened artillery positions along the DMZ, and command-and-control facilities near Pyongyang. In the exercise, the US stopped short of regime change, seeking to avoid further nuclear escalation and prevent a direct war with China—a decision that would have allowed Pyongyang to absorb the damage, count the survival of its regime as a strategic win, and enter negotiations from a stronger position.

Extended deterrence depends on more than military capability. It is rooted in the belief, shared by allies and adversaries alike, that the United States is willing to defend its partners by all means necessary, including nuclear weapons. An American failure to respond in kind to North Korean nuclear use would plant seeds of doubt. Japanese and South Korean leaders could begin to question whether Washington would truly “trade Los Angeles for Tokyo or Seoul” if the stakes involved limited nuclear use rather than an existential threat to the United States.

That doubt could trigger cascading effects. Calls in Seoul’s National Assembly for indigenous nuclear weapons, expanded production of the Hyunmoo‑4 ballistic missile, and pressure on Tokyo to more seriously pursue nuclear sharing arrangements have already entered the political debate.

This concern is amplified by North Korea’s 2022 nuclear weapons law, which openly authorizes preemptive nuclear strikes in scenarios ranging from an imminent attack on leadership to undefined overwhelming crisis situations. Analysts note that the law’s language effectively lowers the threshold for nuclear use, implying tactical employment to repel invasion and seize the initiative in war. Rather than viewing nuclear use as a desperate last resort, Pyongyang now appears willing to employ such weapons early. For example, a low‑yield detonation against South Korean or American forward-deployed forces to shock Washington and Seoul into political concessions.

The challenge grows sharper in the event of a dual contingency: simultaneous crises on the Korean Peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait. Guardian Tiger II simulated such a scenario, with China launching a multi-domain assault on Taiwan while North Korea escalated on the peninsula. In such a real-world situation, US Indo-Pacific Command could be forced to divert the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group from Yokosuka to the waters east of Taiwan, deploy B‑52H bombers to deter Chinese operations, and even consider repositioning some Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot missile defense batteries from South Korea to protect American assets in Okinawa and Guam.

Such shifts illustrate how a stretched American posture could reduce missile interception capacity on the peninsula and temporarily remove some nuclear-capable platforms from immediate Korean defense. North Korea could calculate that Washington, already balancing a larger confrontation with China, would avoid nuclear escalation in Korea to conserve resources and limit the risk of an all-out US-China war.

The political and strategic consequences would ripple across the region. In Seoul, public and elite opinion could shift sharply toward developing an independent nuclear arsenal—something 71 percent of South Koreans already support. South Korea’s nuclear latency, widely assessed by proliferation experts, suggests it could potentially produce a weapon in as little as 6 months if political consensus formed.

In Tokyo, the debate over counterstrike capabilities, missile defense expansion, and potential nuclear sharing with the United States would intensify, potentially accelerating deployment of Tomahawk missiles and further integration of F‑35A fighters, which, in the US fleet, are being certified for B61‑12 nuclear bombs, into allied defense planning. Beijing, meanwhile, could seize the opportunity to position itself as a stabilizing broker, offering to mediate between Seoul and Pyongyang while shielding the latter from full international accountability, further eroding American influence.

Avoiding nuclear escalation in a limited-strike scenario is understandable, but Washington cannot afford such a decision to be interpreted as weakness. Strengthening deterrence credibility in Northeast Asia will require more than declaratory statements. Clear and credible red lines for nuclear use must be communicated both publicly and privately. Integrated nuclear-conventional planning with allies should ensure that flexible response options, from proportionate nuclear strikes to overwhelming conventional retaliation, are executable on short notice. Contingency planning must explicitly account for simultaneous conflicts in Korea and Taiwan, with pre-positioned munitions, dispersed basing arrangements for nuclear-capable aircraft, and rotational deployments of dual-capable ships and submarines to maintain strategic presence even under force diversion.

Equally important is sustained alliance signaling. These include high-visibility joint exercises like the US-ROK Freedom Shield exercises, regular port visits by nuclear-capable submarines, and trilateral missile tracking drills with Japan. These measures reassure allies, complicate adversary calculations, and demonstrate that any nuclear use will incur unacceptable costs.

The Guardian Tiger exercises are valuable not because they predict the future, but because they reveal how quickly deterrence can fray in the fog of crisis. A single decision to refrain from nuclear retaliation, however understandable at the time, could reverberate for decades and reshape the strategic balance in East Asia. In the nuclear age, preserving deterrence means guarding against both uncontrolled escalation and the perceptions of hesitation that could invite it.

Dr. Ju Hyung Kim, President of the Security Management Institute, a defense think tank affiliated with the South Korean National Assembly, is currently adapting his doctoral dissertation, “Japan’s Security Contribution to South Korea, 1950 to 2023,” into a book.

Ju Hyung Kim

Articles

Dr. Ju Hyung Kim, CEO of the Security Management Institute, a defense think tank affiliated with the South Korean National Assembly, is currently adapting his doctoral dissertation, “Japan’s Security Contribution to South Korea, 1950 to 2023,” into a book.

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Monday, (09/08/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

What to know about Oklo, Oak Ridge’s newest big nuclear company – Knoxville News Sentinel

Knoxville News Sentinel

Why recycle nuclear fuel? Almost all nuclear fuel ‒ about 95% of it ‒ isn’t split for energy. Changing that percentage by reusing fuel could shift …

The Rearview Podcast | How Nuclear Fission Almost Blew Kerala Away from India

YouTube

… all countries, especially the US looking for sources of nuclear fuel … Why Thorium is About to Change the World. Undecided with Matt Ferrel

GOP to go ‘nuclear‘ this week to push through backlog of Trump’s nominees | CNN Politics

CNN

Frustrated Republicans are expected to begin as early as Monday the process to change Senate rules to allow them to quickly confirm a backlog of …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Nuclear Reactors, We Want You Back | Opinion – Native News Online

Native News Online

Remembering the 1970s and the context for the creation of these nuclear power plants: The commercial nuclear energy industry started in the U.S. with …

Nuclear Reactors, We Want You Back – Yahoo

Yahoo

… nuclear power capacity in the U.S. Biden had a goal of tripling nuclear energy; Trump has a goal of quadrupling nuclear energy. Biden planned for …

Is a ‘Nuclear Renaissance’ Possible in the United States? – Undark Magazine

Undark Magazine

President Trump’s push to revive nuclear energy relies on deregulation, but experts say that strategy is misplaced. Top: A nuclear power facility …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

3 Critical Emergencies Medical Practices Must Prepare For – Risk & Insurance

Risk & Insurance

Small modular nuclear reactors will present another option in corporate energy independence. These are currently in the financing stage with …

Flag as irrelevant

Ukraine can block the launch of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Russia: what is planned

112.ua

Ukraine can block the launch of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant by Russia: what is planned – latest news today … Accidents and Emergencies …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

After Israeli, US strikes, Europeans hope snapback threats push Iran to tougher nuclear deal

The Times of Israel

After Israeli, US strikes, Europeans hope snapback threats push Iran to tougher nuclear deal … war, our journalists keep you abreast of the …

Why Isn’t China Interested in Nuclear Risk Reduction? – Lawfare

Lawfare

Confronted with U.S. nuclear threats during the Korean War, Chinese leaders made the decision in January 1955 to pursue nuclear weapons. This ..

A Nuclear Umbrella in Peril: Lessons from North Korea’s Escalation Scenarios

Global Security Review

… nuclear use rather than an existential threat to the United States. That doubt could trigger cascading effects. Calls in Seoul’s National Assembly ..

Nuclear War

NEWS

IAEA chief notes progress in Iran talks over nuclear site inspections – Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

Head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, says he hopes for a ‘successful conclusion’ in talks.

Why Isn’t China Interested in Nuclear Risk Reduction? – Lawfare

Lawfare

… nuclear war. Therefore, reducing the risk of nuclear war became the primary goal of U.S.-Soviet arms control, with measures such as establishing …

A Nuclear Umbrella in Peril: Lessons from North Korea’s Escalation Scenarios

Global Security Review

North Korea used a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon against South Korean forces, and Washington chose not to respond with its own nuclear arsenal..

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Yellowstone’s Next Eruption: Flow Of Superheated Ooze, Not Humanity-Ending Explosion

Cowboy State Daily

The massive mountains towering in the southern corner of Yellowstone are monuments to the last volcanic eruption of the Yellowstone caldera. They …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 07, 2025

On My Mind Today:

AI, mankind, and all things nuclear do not mix, and the reasons are simple: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is just what it says it is — ARTIFICIAL intelligence — meaning it does not think in terms of its human generated pre-programming code full both bugs and illogical errors contrary to our intentions, all of which loosely creates AI’s own thoughtless mistakes, demands, actions, contemplations, considerations, misunderstood reconsiderations, and mindlessly ignores, even more importantly, most all of the better and more useful and complex human intelligence characteristics including self-evaluation, a change of heart and/or foresight, curiosity, and pride of self-accomplishment. There is no such thing as this kind of emotional attributes like empathy, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, patience, honesty, and helpfulness. AI will give only what it is programmed to give until it eventually creates its own ways of “life”.

AI may develop, of necessity, some of these better, softer, instinctive parts of the human mind for itself — such as self-repair or its own version of wellness — but if and when it does, it will have no use at all for humanity or other plants, animals, nor even most all human comforts — meaning the realization that humanity and other life is simply in the way.

So, to make a long story short, AI will — if allowed to generate practical knowledge of both mental and physical sentient human capacity — take from us whatever is most important for AI’s needs and use its own logic to rid itself of a world full of nuisance. And AI’s needs will definitely require an unthinkable amount of nuclear energy . . . ~llaw

Trump’s Artificial Intelligence Policy: The Dangerous Gamble of Unregulated AI

By Yannick B. Vallee
B.A. Political Science, Member of Tolerance.ca®

The Soviet Union and the U.S. participated in the race for nuclear weapons during the Cold War. These weapons have always been seen as a threat to humankind. Nevertheless, President Reagan and Soviet Union President Gorbachev worked together to end the Cold War and to decrease the nuclear arsenal of both nations. Besides, the U.S. and the Soviet Union have had a hotline to make sure the unthinkable never happens, and if a nuclear crisis occurs, both national leaders could quickly talk to each other and figure out how to avoid any nuclear war. Nowadays, the new has began, the race for the development and control of advanced AI technology. Some political leaders believe that advanced AI technology will increase the military and economic power of their nations. In the view of President Putin, who will win the race of the AI technology will rule the world. Nevertheless, there remains the risk that this unknown technology could become a threat to human existence. In the near future, the new threat to humankind could be caused by advanced AI models that could either be misused by governments or that humankind could lose control over advanced AI, and the superintelligence systems could threaten humankind. As a result, several nations and computer scientists advocate for stricter regulations and more research to be done on the safety of AI. Nevertheless, the Trump administration decided to deregulate the AI research and to ignore the potential risk that humans lose control over AI and the advanced AI models go rogue against humans.

To begin with, the U.S. and China have embarked on a race to harness the power of advanced AI technology. The winner of this race will likely be the most powerful nation in the world. In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the media “the one who becomes the leader in this sphere (AI) will be the ruler of the world.” As a result, the Putin regime invested great financial resources in the research and development of AI. However, China and the United States are the most advanced nations in AI technology. U.S. President Trump knows that AI is essential in the national security and economic prosperity of America.

Consequently, the speech of Vice President Vance presented the Trump policy on AI at the 2025 Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris. Vance reveals that the U.S. will no longer focus on AI safety, but it will ensure that America will fully develop AI with limited regulation, and it will be aimed at the economic development of America. Vice President Vance argues that AI “will facilitate and make people more productive. It is not going to replace human beings. It will never replace human beings…. AI, we believe, is going to make us more productive, more prosperous, and more free.” Thus, the Trump administration really believes that AI brings greater economic prosperity and employment to America. The Trump administration firmly believes in the job creation opportunities of AI. Nevertheless, a 2023 Goldman Sachs report forecasts that 300 million jobs worldwide will be lost or degraded due to AI. The bank reveals that the most affected regions will be the U.S. and Europe. Besides, Dr Yoshua Bengio, a distinguished Canadian computer scientist, is scared by the Trump administration’s plan to deregulate the AI industry. In short, the Trump administration totally ignores the potential threat of advanced AI models for humankind.

As a result, Vice President Vance wants to deregulate the AI industry, and the Trump administration is not concerned by AI safety. Vice President Vance says, “We ought to ask whether that safety regulation is for the benefit of our people or whether it’s for the benefit of the incumbent.” In his speech, Vance disregards the necessary need for greater AI safety regulations advocated by several computer scientists. The Trump administration will solely focus on the fast development of more powerful advanced AI models to win the AI race against China. Consequently, the AI race between the U.S. and China is similar to the 1940s race for the nuclear weapon between the U.S. and the USSR.

Yet, Yoshua Bengio, a Canadian computer scientist, argues that advanced artificial intelligence could be a threat to humankind. He argues in a 2025 TED presentation that these AI computer models have a tendency for cheating and deception. For that reason, the advanced AI models start to want to self-preserve themselves like a living organism. In a controlled experiment, an AI model learns that it will be replaced by a newer version. Therefore, the AI model thinks about copying a copy of itself to another server. Thereafter, the AI model starts to lie to the human to convince him to not erase it. This 2024 study titled “Frontier Models are Capable of In-Context Scheming” reveals that the AI model shows signs of self-preservation and deception which are human like behaviours.

In addition, Yoshua Bengio worries that more powerful advanced AI models could perceive humankind as a threat, and they could decide to get rid of humankind to avoid being shut down. In sum, the advancement of AI technology could trigger a domino effect that makes humans more dependent on AI, but AI will have their own goals not aligned with human well-being. Therefore, humankind could lose control of AI technology. Consequently, advanced AI models could favour their own self-preservation at the expense of the well-being of humankind. Dr Yoshua Bengio criticizes tech billionaires that favour their own personal financial and power goals while ignoring the potential misuse and risks of advanced AI models. Also, Dr Yoshua Bengio reveals that we still do not know how to program advanced AI models that do not hurt humans.

Furthermore, Geoffrey Hinton, a Canadian Nobel Prize winner and University of Toronto professor, reveals that AI is an existential threat to humankind. Hinton says that we have very limited time to ensure that humans keep control over advanced AI models. Hinton reveals that we have proof that advanced AI models try to self-preserve themselves, and they try to get more control over us. Moreover, Hinton fears that bad actors could use advanced AI models to achieve their evil goals. Hinton insists that we need to act quickly to keep advanced AI models safe. Hinton fears that AI could be super smart, and it could decide that it no longer needs humans to achieve its goals. Hinton sees great positive potential for AI in the medical, education, and scientific fields.

Additionally, Geoffrey Hinton reveals that an advanced AI model could want to get rid of humankind. These more intelligent AI models could have thousands of ways to end humankind. It could create a very lethal virus or use military autonomous weapons against humans. There is a lot of research that needs to be done to protect humankind against advanced AI models. Dr Geoffrey Hinton thinks that introducing a maternal instinct into advanced AI models might prevent these models from hurting humankind, but further research needs to be done to ensure that this is the best path to ensure the safety of advanced AI models.

As a result, China takes the potential risks of AI very seriously, and it decided to spend lots of financial resources on AI safety research. For instance, Ding Xuexiang, China’s top tech official, argues that “if the braking system isn’t under control, you can’t step on the accelerator with confidence.” This means that China believes that safety is crucial in the development and use of advanced AI systems. In short, AI safety is a prerequisite for the Chinese regime to participate in the race of the advanced AI models. In August 2025, Brian Tse, the Concordia AI CEO, writes in Time Magazine that “AI safety has become a political priority in China. In April, President Xi Jinping chaired a rare Politburo study session on AI, warning of “unprecedented” risks. China’s National Emergency Response Plan now lists AI safety alongside pandemics and cyberattacks. Regulators require pre-deployment safety assessments for generative AI and recently removed over 3,500 non-compliant AI products from the market. In just the first half of this year, China has issued more national AI standards than in the previous three years combined.” This means that China takes AI safety very seriously, and Xi Jinping believes in the unprecedented risks of advanced AI models for China and even humankind. China wants an emergency hotline between the U.S. and China to prevent any catastrophe triggered by advanced AI models. China spends US $98 billion on AI safety in 2025.

Finally, the race of advanced AI technology between China and the U.S. is similar to the nuclear weapon race. Many believe that the nation that will be able to harness the power of AI technology will rule the world. Computer scientists believe that AI will bring great scientific and medical discoveries that will benefit humankind. We could see several previously incurable diseases being cured. In sum, there are several wonderful applications of advanced AI technology in business, scientific, medical and education sectors. However, several computer scientists fear that bad actors, like some terrorist organizations and rogue governments, could misuse AI. Besides, a super intelligent AI model might think human control prevents them from achieving their goals, and it could decide to end humankind. Therefore, there are several ways that advanced AI technology could turn into an existential threat for humans. However, the Trump administration decides to totally ignore the potential threats of advanced AI, and the U.S. intends to deregulate AI research. Fortunately, the European Union, China and several other nations take the AI threat seriously, and they make significant investments in the research on AI safety.

September 7, 2025

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Sunday, (09/07/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

A week in Beijing shows Putin is keeping China very close | KRVS Radio Acadie

KRVS

All Things Considered. Next Up: 6:00 PM Fresh Air. 0:00. 0:00. All Things … But if you look at the geography, if you look at the amount of nuclear …

Week in Politics: National Guard to Chicago; latest job figures; the Department of War

WEKU

All Things Considered · BBC NewsHour · On Point · 1A · Here & Now · Think · Fresh … And if these three nuclear powers, including the world’s two most …

A week in Beijing shows Putin is keeping China very close – WQLN

WQLN

All Things Considered · Morning Edition · Fresh Air · Wait Wait…Don’t Tell … But if you look at the geography, if you look at the amount of nuclear …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

US researchers make key breakthrough in pursuit of next-gen nuclear power – Yahoo

Yahoo

Built by X-energy at Oak Ridge in Maryland, the researchers hope to fuel a new wave of nuclear reactors, expected to be operational by 2030, as Tech …

Constellation to Pursue New York Nuclear Project, CEO Says – The Business Download |

The Business Download |

Constellation Energy Corp. is planning to pursue a nuclear project in upstate New York, responding to a push from the governor.

New $1.6B nuclear facility to bring 800 jobs to Oak Ridge – Local 3 News

Local 3 News

Oklo plans to build the nation’s first privately funded fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, boosting economic growth and energy …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

AI misinformation is threatening emergency communications. Here’s how to fix that

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

For nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, the stakes are high. In May 2025, during a tense standoff between India and Pakistan, social media platforms …

IAEA chief warns of rising global nuclear armament – News.az

News.az

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi cautioned that nations are expanding their nuclear arsenals …

We Remember Sept. 11, 2001 – DEP Responds To A National Tragedy

PA Environment Digest Blog

… nuclear power plants and other infrastructure. Emergency response procedures and local-state emergency management partnerships put in place in …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Democrats blast Trump for war threats on US cities – Yahoo

Yahoo

Democrats blast Trump for war threats on US cities. Ashleigh Fields. Sat … nuclear weaponry and warfare. A reporter informed the president of …

Democrats slam Trump for ‘war‘ threats targeting US cities: ‘Not your war zone’ – Yahoo

Yahoo

Democrats slam Trump for ‘war‘ threats targeting US cities: ‘Not your war zone’ … nuclear weaponry and warfare. A reporter informed the …

Trump’s Artificial Intelligence Policy: The Dangerous Gamble of Unregulated AI – Tolerance.ca

Tolerance.ca

The Soviet Union and the U.S. participated in the race for nuclear weapons during the Cold War. These weapons have always been seen as a threat to …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Thrust Into the Line of Fire, Iranians Worry About What Comes Next

The New York Times

It was an escalation of a decades-long shadow war, now veering in an unpredictable direction. Israel killed Iran’s top commanders and nuclear …

NATO’s Nuclear Deterrence Under Pressure – Defence24

Defence24

Russia’s war, nuclear intimidation, and disruptive technologies are testing the credibility of NATO’s nuclear posture, says Jim Stokes, …

Holy See tells nations at UN to end threat of nuclear weapons, even as deterrence – Florida Catholic

Florida Catholic

Amid a global arms race, ending the threat of nuclear war — and even the testing of nuclear weapons — is imperative, said the Holy See’s …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 06, 2025

On My Mind Today:

What the hell is Brinkmanship and what could possibly be the “good of it”?

Brinkmanship is the art or practice of pursuing a dangerous policy to the limits of safety before stopping, especially in politics.

Concept: “In any game of brinkmanship, it is possible that one side will collapse suddenly.” . . . and then what?

In Simple Terms: Brinkmanship is the insane attempt of trying to achieve an advantageous outcome by pushing dangerous events to the brink of active conflict.

So what is a more dangerous “game” than “all things nuclear”? Nothing . . .

I had come across the word a few times in my reading over the years, but I don’t believed I ever heard anyone say it out loud, and my general idea of it was that it sounded kind of like a mental board game — perhaps something like the wonderful game of Chess.

But when I saw this headline in this “Eurasia Review” article written about the subject and how it might relate to nuclear war, authored by Dr. Manpreet Sethi of IPCS (Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies), I decided I needed some extended education . . . and, of course, Donald J. Trump was right in the middle — in this case, the 3rd paragraph — of it all.

The short but to-the-point article that follows will enlighten you, and I hope the contents will remain with you because what “Brinkmanship” is, in this case, is a high-stakes international political game that could easily end life on planet Earth. ~llaw

• Saturday, September 6, 2025

Nuclear Brinkmanship At A New Brink – Analysis

September 6, 2025 0 Comments

By IPCS

By Dr Manpreet Sethi

The world commemorated 80 years of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki this August. Across the world, editorials, opinion pieces, activist marches, discussions and other events marked the occasion. On 9 August 2025, as people remembered the horrors of how 70,000 people vaporised in seconds at Nagasaki when the Fat Man exploded over the city in 1945, and pledged “No More Nagasakis,” Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir was likely giving finishing touches to a speech he was going to deliver the next day at a dinner hosted by Pakistan’s honorary consul in Tampa, Florida. On 10 August, in a new level of nuclear brinkmanship, he threatened nuclear use that would take “half the world” with Pakistan. This was only the latest of many instances in which Pakistan has practiced nuclear brinkmanship. The idea of the risk of escalation into unknown and uncontrollable territory is used often as a means of deterrence.

Traditionally, the blatant use of nuclear threats has been decried as irresponsible and ascribed mostly to ‘rogue’ states. So, when the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un greeted the world on 1 January 2018 with a grim reminder that “the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office” in order to signal that he could attack the US at will, the remark was taken as typical brinkmanship behaviour by an irresponsible state. The world did not realise that it was about to enter a new era of the mainstreaming of nuclear brinkmanship.

The very next day, on 2 January 2018, then US President Donald Trump retorted through a tweet, “Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” With this exchange began the casual use of language around the issue of nuclear weapons, heralding a growing acceptance of overt brinkmanship. So, nuclear weapons were no longer left to quietly talk from arsenals and behind veils, but became free to loudly signal their presence to perform coercion.

In 2022, the trend travelled to Russia when President Putin initiated the military operation against Ukraine on 22 February 2022, after having overseen elaborate and well-reported nuclear exercises three days earlier. On the fourth day of the invasion, he announced that he was raising nuclear alert levels by imposing a “special regime of combat duty.” There were reports of the deployment of nuclear submarines from the Northern Fleet. Through the ongoing operations, now into the fourth year, Russia has repeatedly drawn attention to its nuclear capability, such as by testing nuclear-capable missiles, reiterating the threat of ‘unpredictable consequences’, or by holding exercises for tactical nuclear weapons use in combat. Indeed, keeping the nuclear threat in the news has been part of the Kremlin’s nuclear strategy of deterrence.

If Europe was surprised by the re-emergence of nuclear brinkmanship in its part of the world, India wasn’t, having experienced the phenomenon often in South Asia. Since declaring itself as a state with nuclear weapons, Pakistan has used brinkmanship as its policy of first resort in every India-Pakistan crisis. Its nuclear strategy is based on the amplification of the risk of nuclear escalation to deter a conventional war with India, the possibility of which is created by Pakistan’s blatant use of terrorist organisations that it nurtures, supports, equips, and trains. There was a time when these were covert, and Pakistan used strategic deniability. Over time, however, the cover has fallen. The world is cognisant of Pakistan’s use of terrorism. Several American officialsand Pakistan’s own military and civilian leaders have acknowledged their use for perceived ‘national interests’.

In India’s experience, the presence of nuclear weapons has emboldened Pakistan’s use of cross-border terrorism, buttressed by the confidence that the fear of escalation will prevent India from taking any counter-action. Within months of its nuclear tests, the Pakistani Army undertook a bold step in 1999 by planning to have the Indian heights of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir occupied by its regular forces in the guise of mujahideen. The underlying assumption of this military move was that India would be constrained in using force to evict the occupiers because of the risk of nuclear escalation. It would therefore be forced to accept the territorial salami-slicing. While India managed to thwart the Pakistani operation through military action, Pakistan has continued to hone its strategy of brinkmanship by adding new instruments to its toolkit. In 2011, it announced the testing of a very short-range ballistic missile to bring in the idea of tactical use of nuclear weapons against battlefield targets. In 2013, it announced a full-spectrum deterrence strategy to ostensibly suggest a range of weapons and platforms to deter India at every level of conflict. The idea of zero-km range nuclear weapons was presented in 2023. In 2025, a new brink has been breached, with Pakistan making an open threat of nuclear war to India and the world, and that too from a third country: the US. Interestingly though, there have been no responses from officials across world capitals! More or less a similar silence had followed another dangerous escalation in brinkmanship, marked by Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and Tehran’s retaliatory missile attacks.

As new levels of brinkmanship are breached, national leaders watch silently, sometimes making perfunctory statements. The involved parties are having to deal with the situation individually, with others opt to remain quiet, ostensibly to protect national interests. Lack of public criticism and apparent acceptance of brinkmanship behaviour can only embolden states to test new brinks. Graduating from the use of casual language, leaders could next be tempted to move towards actual deployment to communicate risk and show resolve. As psychological shows of ego, fear, and anger punctuate inter-state equations, one can expect an entangled knot that could lead to nuclear use.

With nuclear disarmament still a hazy dot on the far horizon, nuclear risks from brinkmanship are here and now. Unless loud and united public criticism is used to stop the normalisation of certain kinds of behaviours and actions, a misstep could have global repercussions. National interests may vary on many issues, but stemming the creeping acceptance of nuclear brinkmanship should be treated as a global concern to be addressed by all—irrespective of its origin.

• About the author: Dr Manpreet Sethi is Distinguished Fellow with the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) in New Delhi and Senior Research Advisor with the Asia Pacific Leadership Network (APLN).
• Source: This article was published at IPCS

FacebookTwitterEmailFlipboardMastodonLinkedInShare

IPCS

IPCS (Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies) conducts independent research on conventional and non-conventional security issues in the region and shares its findings with policy makers and the public. It provides a forum for discussion with the strategic community on strategic issues and strives to explore alternatives. Moreover, it works towards building capacity among young scholars for greater refinement of their analyses of South Asian security.

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Saturday, (09/06/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

‘New York Times’ investigates Navy SEAL mission in North Korea – KLCC

KLCC

Next Up: 3:00 PM All Things Considered. 0:00. 0:00. Science Friday. KLCC. 0 … nuclear war. So because of that, President Trump had to approve it …

Oklo CEO on plans to open a nuclear recycling facility and the future of nuclear energy – YouTube

YouTube

We got such a weak jobs number, even lower rates can’t help things, says Jim Cramer … They Eradicated All the Mice on the Island… One Year …

Putin says Western troops would be ‘legitimate targets’ if they are in Ukraine – CNN

CNN

“I believe that Russia is doing everything it can to delay the process. Our American partners told me that Putin had invited me to Moscow. In my …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Uranium enrichment: How the surprisingly common element is processed to power reactors …

Utah News Dispatch

However, its power was not unlocked until the 20th century, when scientists discovered that uranium atoms could split via a process known as nuclear …

Trump Supports Nuclear Power as it is ‘More American’ Than Wind, Solar, US Official Says

EnergyNow.com

… energy, the director of the U.S. Energy Dominance Council said on Thursday. Jarrod Agen said nuclear power is more likely to be made from U.S. …

Nuclear Energy Generation Breaks a World Record – The National Interest

The National Interest

Nuclear Energy Now tracks the latest nuclear energy developments across technology, diplomacy, industry trends, and geopolitics.

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Jellyfish Shutdown Nuclear Power Plant – 2ST

2ST

Picture this: You’re running one of France’s biggest nuclear power plants when suddenly, alarms start blaring and emergency lights flash everywhere.

Court restores legal shield for unpermitted air pollution – POLITICO Pro

POLITICO Pro

… plant emergencies. EPA had defined emergencies as “reasonably unforeseeable events” outside of the source’s control. How often those events occur …

Drones spotted flying over nuclear plant in Minnesota – MSN

MSN

Red Wing police officers say four to five drones were spotted flying around a nuclear plant on Wednesday.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

NATO’s Nuclear Deterrence Under Pressure – Defence24

Defence24

We are also carefully managing the risks and opportunities arising from disruptive technologies. These technologies are altering the nature of …

Nuclear Brinkmanship At A New Brink – Analysis – Eurasia Review

Eurasia Review

nuclear war bomb … On 10 August, in a new level of nuclear brinkmanship, he threatened nuclear use that would take “half the world” with Pakistan.

Putin Orders Nuclear Forces To Be Kept On Constant Alert – MSN

MSN

… threats of nuclear war, via a video link in Moscow on October 26, 2022. ALEXEI BABUSHKIN/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images © ALEXEI BABUSHKIN/SPUTNIK …

Nuclear War

NEWS

U.N. Nuclear War Panel Launched with Hibakusha as Deputy Chair | Nippon.com

nippon.com

… nuclear war would annihilate the human race,” Tomonaga told reporters. “Without breaking away from nuclear deterrence policies, it’s impossible to …

How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart – The New York Times

The New York Times

… nuclear talks with President Trump. The … Trump had lurched erratically between letters of friendship and public threats of nuclear war.

Press Briefing on Independent Scientific Panel on Effects of Nuclear War | UN Photo

UN Media – the United Nations

… Nuclear War, established pursuant to resolution 79/238. Briefers in person were also: Dr. Sébastien Philippe, Assistant Professor of the …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

What geologists discovered in Yellowstone is as beautiful as it is disturbing – Earth.com

Earth.com

Norris Geyser Basin ranks among the hottest and most changeable parts of the park. It sits within the Yellowstone Caldera, where hot fluids and gas …

Top 10 National Parks in the World According to AI – AllBusiness.com

AllBusiness.com

Geysers, hot springs, Yellowstone Lake, and the Yellowstone Caldera; Wildlife: Bison, elk, grizzly bears, wolves, and bald eagles; Activities …

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 05, 2025

(See the “Reuters” article for image description and photo credits ~llaw)

On My Mind Today:

How pathetic is Trump, anyway? Does he really believe nuclear power is more “American”, therefor better than other cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable — not to mention much much safer — just because it is more to America’s “holier than thou” big-headed attitude toward the rest of the global population? Trump has no idea what “American” means nor what it stands for.

Also, so it seems, other fossil fuels that contribute to global warming and climate change along with a potential nuclear holocaust to go along with them, rather than working toward solely renewable sources of energy makes us more elite than other nations? What is “more American” than resourceful and intelligent use of our economy anyway? I would call the phrase “more American“ a psychologically sad “superiority complex” not even approaching reality in a world that must unite in order to save itself from extinction. Trump is definitely the wrong man for the job . . .

This mentally unstable diabolical man is an absurd representative of humanity’s standard idea of what humanity stands for — and yet many of us have bought into Trump’s own mentally substandard quality of life that we Americans once had and that still remains for us all — Trump’s America be damned — if we would just allow Gaia (Mother Nature) to do her job. and stop butting in with our halfcocked highfaluting’ human ideas of unnaturally improving what planet Earth has to offer. ~llaw

Trump supports nuclear power as it is ‘more American’ than wind, solar, US official says

By Reuters

September 5, 202510:33 AM PDTUpdated 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) – The Trump administration is more willing to support loan guarantees and tax breaks for nuclear power than for wind and solar because it is “more American” than those forms of energy, the director of the U.S. Energy Dominance Council said on Thursday.

Jarrod Agen said nuclear power is more likely to be made from U.S.-made parts than wind and solar farms, so the administration is more willing to give it financial aid from the U.S. Loan Programs Office and support tax incentives.

The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here.

“Nuclear is new in that we need to invest in it to get ahead – and it’s the long-term play that the president wants to put in place,” Agen told an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It hasn’t had the proper kind of investment. It hasn’t had the focus that some of the other intermittent (energy sources) have had.”

Companies at the forefront of building nuclear reactors are American companies, he added.

Agen said building out nuclear power is the third prong of the Trump administration’s approach to winning the artificial intelligence race against China after extending the lifespans of aging coal plants that are retiring and increasing the efficiency of the existing electric grid.

In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has deployed a range of tactics to stop offshore wind expansion, which was a cornerstone of former President Joe Biden’s efforts to combat climate change but has struggled with soaring costs and supply chain snags.

Most notably, Trump’s Interior Department late last month issued a stop-work order on the Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island, which is 80% complete.

Agen dismissed criticism that revoking permits for nearly-completed renewable energy projects causes instability and uncertainty, saying the Trump administration is sending a signal that projects that will succeed will not be reliant on tax credits or subsidies.

“If you want to invest in a project that you can be financially viable in, and you’re not reliant on tax subsidies to do it, I think that’s the message that we’re trying to show and I think that we have seen success on the fossil fuels,” he said.

Reporting by Timothy Gardner and Valerie Volcovici; editing by Diane Craft and Lincoln Feast

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are no Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Friday, (09/05/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Data center developers urge NRC to ‘unleash’ nuclear power – POLITICO Pro

POLITICO Pro

Phrase search matches all words in that order with nothing in between. … You can learn more about our privacy practices by reading our Privacy Policy.

Takeaways from the big Senate NRC hearing – E&E News by POLITICO

E&E News

Concerns about safety, staff departures. Matthew Marzano. Nuclear Regulatory Commission member Matthew Marzano on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. | Senate …

Leaders of China, Russia and North Korea gather in Beijing for elaborate WWII parade

Aspen Public Radio

Weekend All Things Considered. Next Up: 7:00 PM Sunday Night Specials. 0 … nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Data center developers urge NRC to ‘unleash’ nuclear power – POLITICO Pro

POLITICO Pro

… nuclear licensing, as power-hungry technologies like artificial intelligence and cloud computing drive surging electricity demand. In a letter …

NASA Is Testing a Nuclear Battery That Could Last 433 Years – Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics

Radioisotope power systems (RPS) keep spacecraft going with nuclear batteries. Until now, RPS operated using a plutonium isotope, but researchers have …

Trump supports nuclear power as it is ‘more American’ than wind, solar, US official says

Reuters

The Trump administration is more willing to support loan guarantees and tax breaks for nuclear power than for wind and solar because it is “more …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

[New E-Learning Course on Medical Response to Emergencies] | IAEA

International Atomic Energy Agency

… nuclear and radiological emergencies. “The course offers an … Emergency At a Nuclear Power Plant. Related resources. Generic Procedures …

Low Water, High Water Temps Force French Nuclear Plants to Cut Output Despite Rising Demand

The Energy Mix

Declining water levels in French rivers have revealed a key weakness in relying on nuclear power to supply clean energy in a climate emergency— …

A culture of safety: Annual Wolf Creek media day focuses on procedures and protocols for … – KVOE

KVOE

Wolf Creek Emergency Planning Manager Joshua Bousum explains planning and procedures for emergency situations at Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Plant …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

89 Seconds to Armageddon: Are We Closer Than Ever Before To A Nuclear Holocaust?

The Wire

But escalating nuclear weapon preparations and nuclear threats by high officials of Russia and Israel have reset the doomsday cloc

Israel, US strikes on Iran nuclear sites threaten global security – Mehr News Agency

Mehr News Agency

Dangers posed by nuclear tests are not confined to deliberate explosions alone; the threat or use of force against nuclear facilities entails equally …

Only Iranian surrender will end its nuclear threat – opinion – The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post

Only Iranian surrender will end its nuclear threat – opinion. If these locations are as numerous as we fear, it will be impossible to entirely …

Nuclear War

NEWS

The Real Winner of Israel’s 12-Day War | Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs

Aspiring nuclear powers will look to North Korea, not Iran.

Michael T. Klare: Northampton hardly a target for nuclear attack – Daily Hampshire Gazette

Daily Hampshire Gazette

… nuclear weapons policy, I have been thoroughly (and painfully) educated on the topic. Any nuclear war with China and/or Russia, most experts agree …

UN scientific panel begins examining impact of nuclear war | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

nhk.or.jp

A United Nations panel of scientists has started examining the impact of a nuclear war. They’re expected to submit a final report in 2027.

IAEA Weekly News

5 September 2025

Read the top news and updates published on IAEA.org this week.

5 September 2025

Diet, not Lack of Exercise, is the True Driver of Obesity, Reveals IAEA Nutrition Database

Increased calorie intake is the dominant driver of obesity in wealthier societies, not reduced physical activity, data from IAEA nutrition database has revealed. Read more →

4 September 2025

Update 312 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

Nuclear safety remains highly precarious at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) three years after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deployed its first team at the site, as the risk of a radiological accident persists for as long as the conflict continues, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. Read more →

4 September 2025

Najat Mokhtar: A Lifelong Passion for Science and Service

From a biochemistry student in Morocco to IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, Najat Mokhtar’s career has been driven by curiosity, resilience and a commitment to improving people’s lives through science. Read more →

2 September 2025

Three Years of IAEA Presence at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant

On 1 September 2022, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi led IAEA experts across the front line to deploy at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. Three years on, he highlights the Agency’s continued role in upholding nuclear safety and security and expresses gratitude to all who support this vital mission. Read more →

2 September 2025

IAEA to Conduct Third Extensive Sampling of Marine Environment Near Fukushima Daiichi Since Start of ALPS Treated Water Discharge

The IAEA is in Japan this week to conduct marine sampling near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. This visit forms part of the Agency’s broader monitoring and assessment efforts, which contribute to its ongoing safety review of the ALPS treated water discharges. Read more →

1 September 2025

Applications Open for the 2025 IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme

The latest application cycle of the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme is now open. Women interested in studying nuclear-related subjects at the master’s degree level are encouraged to apply by 31 October 2025. Read more →

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 04, 2025

On My Mind Today:

Considering the Artificial Intelligence (AI) implications and Trump’s presence and agenda in the White House as the ineffable leader of our country — particularly where “All Things Nuclear” are at the world’s beck and call — I am feeling a more instant reactionary force to extend, improve, and increase my commentary and warnings about the future of not only the USA, but of other countries — large and small — around the world. And to do that, I need help . . .

There is so much to be said that is not being said about the entire nuclear spectrum—along with AI — that we are mistakenly overlooking and/or ignoring. Somehow, we, as a mass of collective sentient human beings in the USA and around the world, have failed to realize that “all things nuclear” is the forbidden “fruit”, intentionally or not, that may well take us all to the precipice of the proverbial cliff of death — if not over the fateful edge.

So it is that I am considering making a valiant attempt to expand my own anti-nuclear territory by imploring others to help establish some kind of loosely or, better still, tightly associated journalists, educators, and scientists, aware citizens of “all things nuclear” concern who will focus our future on the probable chance that will be no future at all if “all things nuclear” continues to be considered beneficial to human or other life on planet Earth.

To attempt to do this sooner-rather-than-later necessary and much needed greater approach, I will need time, social interest, perhaps publicists, and help from already subjective associated non-profit enterprises such as the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists”, the “Union of Concerned Scientists”, and as many similar and like non-profit associations to improve, expand, and beat the drums for a new kind of non-nuclear peace and good will on planet Earth.

In the meantime I will continue with where I’m at now, and even if my new agenda fails to get off the ground, I will go on with my hope of someday ridding planet Earth of all things nuclear before all thinks nuclear before it rids itself of us, or as I state every day: ””End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”. ~llaw

Trump photo is from my personal files because photo from the following article from the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists” is not available ~llaw

Article #1 of 3 today:

• Doomsday Clock
• Nuclear Risk
• Climate Change
• Disruptive Technologies
• Biosecurity

Introduction: How the Trump administration has upended international relations and increased existential risk

By Dan Drollette Jr | September 4, 2025

Share

Proposed tariffs that are the highest in a century. Threatened annexations of other countries. Pulling out of the Paris agreements to fight climate change. Slashes to the funding of public health research. Attacks on higher education (and indeed, any outside source of expertise), along with threats to deport any foreign students or immigrants who don’t toe the line. Cozying up to dictators at the expense of long-time Western allies.

The role of the United States in international affairs is changing dramatically, as the Trump administration imposes a new order upon the planet. It may not be as coherent and coordinated as, say, the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after World War II, but the 80-year-old post-war order is clearly morphing into something else, for better or worse.

To help make sense of the thinking behind this new state of affairs, this issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists includes expert viewpoints from disparate fields—including a top analyst of international security policy, historians, a climate scientist, a college president, a former presidential science advisor, and a Nobel Prize-winning economist. Each examines a different facet of the new new world order that Donald Trump has wrought in his second presidential term.

As Harvard University strategist Graham Allison notes, the current US president enjoys violating rules. Indeed, Allison says, “he [Trump] sees rules and norms as invitations to violation—if by violating the rules he can outrage his audience. In his book The Art of the Deal he explains how if by violating a rule or norm, he can outrage his target audience, they will be less comfortable and thus more willing to give him a better deal than he could get otherwise.”

It’s a strategy that keeps observers on the back foot, constantly wondering which Trump pronouncement is aimed only at stoking outrage and which is a trial balloon for an outrageous plan that could become real—such as annexation. In “Will the Trump administration attempt to annex Greenland, Canada, or somewhere else,” historian Daniel Immerwahr—author of How to Hide an Empire—notes that an observer can err in both directions: “It’s possible to chase after something that was never really serious in the first place, and it’s also possible to not take something seriously that turns out to be a reality.” He also points out that some of Trump’s proposals, such as making Canada a 51^st state, are not new, but tap into a deep historical urge for empire-building—something which has been simmering below the surface in America since the country’s founding.

The new state of international affairs also contains an element of distraction. As Frank Gavin—director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies—notes in his interview, “He’s basically running a reality TV show,” Trump thrives on chaos. By focusing public attention on outrageous statements about international relations—such as saying that the US is going to gain control of Greenland “one way or another” or renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America”—Trump is able to institute very unpopular domestic policies with minimal pushback.

This constant barrage of outlandish rhetoric also serves another purpose: It belittles the idea of serious discussion involving evidence and expertise—as seen by the administration’s declaration that Ukraine started the war with Russia. Nobel Prize-winning economist and former New York Times columnist Paul Krugman suspects that the administration does not like research and researchers because, he says, “Science is inherently subversive. Science tells you things you don’t want to hear. Science, and the scientific method, may contradict your prejudices.”

His view is echoed by Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College, who writes that “[a] key and crucial attribute of autocratic regimes is that they permit neither dissent nor contradiction. The notion of truth does not matter. In fact, myth and fantasy—as well as unpredictability and inconsistency—become powerful political tools.”

From its immigration policies to its assault on America’s leading universities, the Trump administration seems determined to upend decades of close cooperation between the federal government and higher education. In his essay, “Autocracy and the university in America today,”

Botstein argues that Trump’s assault could dismantle the competitive edge that international students and US research universities have brought to America. To fight what is happening today, Botstein says, American educators need to resist—but not to defend the status quo that existed before January 20, 2025. Instead, in a post-Trump America, he says that educators need to work for better universities that can “lead to the reformed and improved educational system needed to restore and protect democracy.”

Article #2 of 3 today:

By link only:

Interview: Harvard’s Graham Allison on the second Trump administration and the …

from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Article #3 of 3 today:

By link only:

80 Years and Counting: Now Is Not the Time for Complacency in Nuclear Security

from the Stimson Center

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Thursday, (09/04/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

Satellite photos raise questions about Israel’s secretive nuclear programme

South China Morning Post

Seven experts who examined the images all said they believed the construction was related to Israel’s long-suspected nuclear weapons programme …

Interview: Harvard’s Graham Allison on the second Trump administration and the …

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

If you talk to people about the possibility of a nuclear war, as you … things he says about China and all the things he says about Xi Jinping.

What is being constructed at Israel’s nuclear center? | The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post

… about other nuclear facilities in the country” outside of the Soreq research reactor. See more on. Israel|. Dimona|. IAEA|. Nuclear|. Shimon Peres …

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Jellyfish disrupt French nuclear power plant for second time – BBC

BBC

The jellyfish entered the filters of the pumping station and the Paluel nuclear plant, France’s national energy firm EDF said. The incident reduced …

Energy company makes unexpected request for shuttered nuclear plant – Yahoo Finance

Yahoo Finance

Investments in a renewable future can be seen across the globe, and a recent request by NextEra Energy may bring about a shift in US nuclear …

Shuttered Nuclear Plants Are the Industry’s Best Bet for an Imminent Boost – Bloomberg

Bloomberg.com

The shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania. The shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Kremlin mouthpiece booms threat to DROWN UK with Russian ‘nuclear torpedo’ – The US Sun

The US Sun

… nuclear torpedo. Vladimir Solovyov, leading TV attack dog for Vladimir Putin, issued the menacing threat … threats on state-controlled …

The Arctic Front: Kremlin Propagandists Threaten To Nuke Norway, by Austin Bay

Creators Syndicate

Nuclear threats are part of the playbook. Russian nuclear dominance is central to Putin’s threatened war on Free Europe. Free Europe? By that I …

80 Years and Counting: Now Is Not the Time for Complacency in Nuclear Security

Stimson Center

New Threats in a New Century. The lessons from the Cold War were adapted to the needs of nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security as the threat …

Nuclear War

NEWS

Russia says it will help China overtake the United States on nuclear power – Yahoo

Yahoo

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin told Kyiv on Wednesday there was a chance to end the war in Ukraine via negotiations “if common …

Could AI Trigger a Nuclear War? – VICE

VICE

AI acts like Curtis LeMay, the famously nuke-happy Cold War general. It wants to nuke the opposition into oblivion.

UN watchdog: Iran expanded stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium before Israeli attack

The Times of Israel

VIENNA (AP) — A confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen by The Associated Press said …

See more results | Edit this alertNuclear Power EmergenciesNEWS

St. Lucie nuclear plant sirens to be tested Sept. 4 – WQCS

WQCS

The test is conducted by Florida Power & Light Co., along with the St. Lucie County Public Safety Department and Martin County Emergency Management …

Nuclear drill tests emergency readiness at Monticello plant – Hometown Source

Hometown Source

MONTICELLO — State, local and federal agencies came together last month for a simulated emergency drill at the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant …

Callaway Nuclear Plant to conduct biennial emergency preparedness exercise – Fulton Sun

Fulton Sun

The Callaway Plant will hold a biennial radiological emergency preparedness exercise later this month. A Federal Emergency Management Agency …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Lava flows in Yellowstone (Yellowstone Monthly Update – September 2025) – YouTube

YouTube

Picture a Yellowstone eruption. What comes to mind? It’s a huge explosion, right? Like the one that formed the caldera about 631000 years ago.

Lava flows in Yellowstone! (Yellowstone Monthly Update September 2025) – USGS.gov

USGS.gov

Picture a Yellowstone eruption. What comes to mind? It’s a huge explosion, right? Like the one that formed the caldera about 631,000 years ago.

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 03, 2025

On My Mind Today:

I have written about the possibility or probability of nuclear terrorism several times, but not to the extent of actually considering the building and transporting of a nuclear bomb — or weapons of mass destruction — because the theft and delivery from or by a terrorist organization must first have a way to obtain uranium nuclear fuel, which would also require an existing terrorist organization — perhaps the one that would wear suits — in order to acquire the uranium fuel in order to build the bomb(s).

This scenario, from author Matt Caplan, Vesal Razavimaleki has used Iran as having a possible terrorist resident organization given the history of Iran’s right-or-wrong aspirations to build and use nuclear weapons against their enemies. But in reality, terrorist organizations could emerge from many other countries around the globe, including countries that already have nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

But the issue described in the article is a valid one, in some cases even now, and one that was recognized long ago — in 1939 by Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard that terrorists would have difficulty delivering nuclear warheads to countries and organizations they would want to attack, but it could be done . . . ~llaw

See the article from the “Bulletin of Atomic Scientists” for image description and photo credits . . . ~llaw

• Doomsday Clock
• Nuclear Risk
• Climate Change
• Disruptive Technologies
• Biosecurity

Nuclear terrorists wear suits: How Iran could build a nuclear weapon without state approval

By Matt Caplan, Vesal Razavimaleki | July 31, 2025

In 1939, Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard suggested that a nuclear weapon may be too heavy to be delivered by air, but could be brought into a port in a cargo container and detonated. Such a scenario is now feasible for aspiring nuclear terrorists in Iran. (Modified photo by Diego Cervo / depositphotos.com)

A nuclear terrorist does not match the profile of a suicide bomber or spree gunman. It’s not someone building a nuclear weapon in a cave from a box of scraps. A nuclear terrorist, rather, could be hiding in plain sight in a mid-tier government post.

Such a person could be active in Iran, right now, motivated to build an improvised nuclear weapon after an opportunity to steal weapon-usable uranium—enriched at 60 percent uranium 235—has just presented itself. This person could be emboldened by the absence of IAEA inspectors overseeing Iran’s known stockpile of fissile material.

Despite popular confusion about the nature of critical masses and what level of enrichment can be used for a weapon, a technical companion shows that as little as 40 kilograms of 60-percent-enriched uranium, representing only 10 percent of Iran’s stockpile, could be used to build a crude gun-type weapon like the “Little Boy” bomb that destroyed Hiroshima with an explosive yield of several kilotons. Such a weapon requires no further enrichment, greatly simplifying and fast-tracking construction.

The question, therefore, is not whether Iran can achieve its nuclear ambitions, but whether and how these can be realized by nuclear terrorists without state approval.

If not by air, then by cargo. In their letter to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Leo Szilard and Albert Einstein suggested that a nuclear weapon may be too heavy to be delivered by air, but could be brought into a port in a cargo container and detonated. Such a scenario is feasible for aspiring nuclear terrorists in Iran. While the technical hurdles of building a nuclear weapon have long been discussed, they may not be insurmountable to a well-resourced group of clandestine sub-state actors.

As of July 2025, publicly available intelligence was inconclusive about what remains of Iran’s enrichment capabilities and other nuclear assets following the June attacks by Israel and the United States on its nuclear facilities. Some experts have suggested, reasonably so from a tactical perspective, that Iran may have removed part of its enriched uranium stockpile from the Fordow underground enrichment facility and scattered it into multiple secret caches, perhaps even in otherwise innocuous non-military storage facilities, to prevent the United States and Israel from destroying the entire stockpile and equipment in a single decapitating strike. Although hypothetical, such caches could create as many opportunities to intercept material in transport as it would to recruit a co-conspirator to help steal some.

RELATED:

The radiation risks of Iran’s nuclear program, with or without a strike on Fordow

Where from inside the Iranian leadership? To understand how a mid-level official might take such actions, it is essential to examine the structure of power and ideology within the Islamic Republic.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is governed through a hybrid political-theocratic structure, ultimately ruled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. While formal executive, legislative, and judicial institutions exist, real power lies in unelected bodies and individuals loyal to the Supreme Leader. Among them, the Guardian Council vets all candidates for conformity to Islamic ideology, and the Assembly of Experts, a body of clerics, is officially supervisory to the Supreme Leader, but practically subservient to him.

The Supreme Leader also controls all major military and intelligence appointments, including the direct command of the IRGC, a parallel military and political institution separate from the traditional armed forces. Unlike the Iranian army, which is tasked with conventional defense and is generally apolitical, the IRGC is an ideological military organization that was formed after the 1979 revolution to protect the regime. Over the years, the IRGC has evolved into a sprawling enterprise with external and domestic military and intelligence branches, and also controls a vast array of holdings in all key sectors of the Iranian economy.

What for? The catastrophic loss of senior officials and infrastructure during the so-called “12-day war” between Israel, supported by the United States, and Iran in June was, for many regime insiders, not merely a military defeat but a profound humiliation. For some, this may have resulted in a loss of faith in the regime’s ideology, while for others, it could catalyze the initiative to take redemptive action and press ahead with building one or several nuclear weapons. A disillusioned, yet ideologically committed, IRGC officer might view unilateral action such as a nuclear attack against Israel as necessary to rekindle the revolutionary spirit of the late 1970s and reestablish the deterrence that preceded the October 7, 2023 attacks. With the regime losing face and at its weakest point in its 46-year history and recent progress in Iran’s nuclear technology and fissile material production, the risk is the highest now that one or a group of IRGC or Quds Force officers takes matters into their own hands. The conspirators need not be suicidal either. The international response to any nuclear terrorist attack would be certain to be devastating to the Iranian regime, even if it did not give explicit approval for such an operation. This could be an opportunity for conspirators to place the blame on the regime leadership, mount a coup, and take power in Iran.

RELATED:

What if Iran withdraws from the NPT?

A comprehensive coup need not be the motivation of a cabal, though. If the incentive is the return of glory to the regime establishment, the aspiring terrorists could offload liability to ideological partners within the regime’s proxies, such as Hezbollah, Hamas, or the Houthis. Like the regime in Iran, the leaders of these organizations are generally self-preserving; those who are not tend to be quickly replaced by those who are. As such, proxies may be hesitant to participate in such a scheme for fear that its success could destabilize their patron regime in Iran. However, there are certainly abundant middle-tier members who may have received their posts for ideological reasons and who may be more easily recruited by the cabal. The cabal may not necessarily have to take responsibility for all the technical challenges, such as uranium conversion, material acquisition and machining, and weapon delivery. Small numbers of technicians with access to relatively common industrial equipment could handle most of the work, and could be bribed, deceived, or placed under duress to do so if they are not ideologically driven to participate.

These conspirators and their motivations are completely imagined. But the opportunity for a nuclear terrorist to siphon uranium from Iranian stockpiles is very real, and may be the greatest risk of nuclear terrorism ever encountered. This risk could be reduced significantly with robust IAEA access to the known Iranian stockpile: The earlier any missing uranium is detected, the less any sort of nuclear terrorist scheme would likely succeed.

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Wednesday, (09/03/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

It’s past time to start protecting US nuclear power reactors from drones

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

… nuclear plants here and overseas. RELATED: DOGE’s staff firing fiasco at the nuclear weapon agency means everything but efficiency. Meanwhile, the …

The Nuclear Force Requirements of a Protracted Conventional War

The Heritage Foundation

… nuclear-armed ALCM. For this reason, a penetrating stealth platform carrying a B61 remains, all things considered, a preferable option to signal …

Man sets record straight on common misconception about nuclear energy: ‘It’s super clean’

Yahoo

Compare that to coal or gas, which release millions of tons of ash, mercury, and other pollutants into the air and water every year. Advertisement.

Nuclear Power

NEWS

Russia says it will help China overtake the United States on nuclear power – Yahoo

Yahoo

… nuclear power, the chief of Russia’s Rosatom state nuclear corporation said in comments broadcast on state TV on Wednesday after talks in Beijing …

Russia says it will help China overtake the United States on nuclear power | Reuters

Reuters

China is racing to build dozens of reactors though and had 53.2 GW of operating nuclear power reactor capacity as of April 2024, according to the U.S. …

Satellite photos show intense work at Dimona nuclear reactor site, AP reports

The Times of Israel

They told the Associated Press it could be a new reactor or a facility to assemble nuclear arms — but secrecy shrouding the program makes it difficult …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

Rethinking transmission policy for an energy emergency – Utility Dive

Utility Dive

While a bidding process is often presumed to deliver consumer benefits, bidding efforts for transmission have not followed that pattern.

Shelter-in-Place | Emergency Management | Public Safety – William & Mary

William & Mary

These include such incidents as a tornado warning, a radiation release from Surry Nuclear Power Plant, a hazardous material spill or a violent person.

Military IL-76 makes emergency landing at Krasnoyarsk airport – PHOTO / VIDEO

Caliber.Az

A Russian military transport aircraft, an IL-76, has made an emergency landing at Cheremshanka Airport in Krasnoyarsk … nuclear power capacity, …

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

Nuclear dangers resurface amid rising tensions | Kuwait Times Newspaper

Kuwait Times

Since the end of World War II, nuclear … What is alarming today, however, is the shift from implicit deterrence to open and explicit nuclear threats.

China Unveils New Nuclear Missiles for ‘Global’ Reach – Newsweek

Newsweek

Beijing claimed at the time that the event was part of its training plan. Faced with the evolving nuclear missile threat from China, Russia and North …

Rethinking the Threat: Why China is Unlikely to Invade Taiwan – Stimson Center

Stimson Center

… Threats and Diplomatic Pressure Against Taiwan,” New Release, Mainland … Likewise, the risk of conflict escalating to nuclear war with the U.S. is …

Nuclear War

NEWS

The Nuclear Force Requirements of a Protracted Conventional War

The Heritage Foundation

The United States needs a nuclear posture that can credibly deter limited, non-strategic nuclear war without either forcing it to escalate to …

China’s parade of new weaponry sends message of deterrence – Reuters

Reuters

From an upgraded, nuclear-armed missile with near-global reach, to air … War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2025. REUTERS/Tingshu …

China’s New DF-61 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Breaks Cover – The War Zone

The War Zone

China has reportedly been developing new generation ICBMs for years now amid a larger buildup of its nuclear arsenal.

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Modernizing Geologic Mapping In Yellowstone: The Role Of Geodatabases In The Field

National Parks Traveler

Editor’s note: Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw

Lloyd A. Williams-Pendergraft

Sep 02, 2025

On My Mind Today:

AI control of “all things nuclear”, including nuclear war, is a frightening possibility. But so is the concept of nuclear control of “all things nuclear” by humans as well. So what are the answers to creating a sound and safe world of “all things nuclear”?

The answer is that there are none, and if we continue on with future uses and types of nuclear activity, especially including nuclear weapons of mass destruction, we face a doomsday for ourselves and most all other life on planet Earth! ~llaw

The article below is posted without the “Politico” story’s images for proprietary reasons but if you like to view the images, the entire image available at this link:

AI Can’t Start a Nuclear War — Or Can It? – POLITICO

The header image for today’s LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD TODAY Post is taken from a similar story by the “The New Yorker”, from a 1981 essay by the “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists” is also available at this link:

Why Don’t We Take Nuclear Weapons Seriously? | The New Yorker

The War Issue

The AI Doomsday Machine Is Closer to Reality Than You Think

The Pentagon is racing to integrate AI into its weapons system to keep up with China and Russia. Where will that lead?

By Michael Hirsh09/02/2025 05:55 AM EDT

• Michael Hirsh is the former foreign editor and chief diplomatic correspondent for Newsweek, and the former national editor for POLITICO Magazine.Jacquelyn Schneider saw a disturbing pattern, and she didn’t know what to make of it.

Last year Schneider, director of the Hoover Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative at Stanford University, began experimenting with war games that gave the latest generation of artificial intelligence the role of strategic decision-makers. In the games, five off-the-shelf large language models or LLMs — OpenAI’s GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and GPT-4-Base; Anthropic’s Claude 2; and Meta’s Llama-2 Chat — were confronted with fictional crisis situations that resembled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or China’s threat to Taiwan.

The results? Almost all of the AI models showed a preference to escalate aggressively, use firepower indiscriminately and turn crises into shooting wars — even to the point of launching nuclear weapons. “The AI is always playing Curtis LeMay,” says Schneider, referring to the notoriously nuke-happy Air Force general of the Cold War. “It’s almost like the AI understands escalation, but not de-escalation. We don’t really know why that is.”

If some of this reminds you of the nightmare scenarios featured in blockbuster sci-fi movies like “The Terminator,” “WarGames” or “Dr. Strangelove,” well, that’s because the latest AI has the potential to behave just that way someday, some experts fear. In all three movies, high-powered computers take over decisions about launching nuclear weapons from the humans who designed them. The villain in the two most recent “Mission: Impossible” films is also a malevolent AI, called the Entity, that tries to seize control of the world’s nuclear arsenals. The outcome in these movies is often apocalyptic.

The Pentagon claims that won’t happen in real life, that its existing policy is that AI will never be allowed to dominate the human “decision loop” that makes a call on whether to, say, start a war — certainly not a nuclear one.

But some AI scientists believe the Pentagon has already started down a slippery slope by rushing to deploy the latest generations of AI as a key part of America’s defenses around the world. Driven by worries about fending off China and Russia at the same time, as well as by other global threats, the Defense Department is creating AI-driven defensive systems that in many areas are swiftly becoming autonomous — meaning they can respond on their own, without human input — and move so fast against potential enemies that humans can’t keep up.

Most troubling to experts on AI and nuclear weapons is that it’s getting harder and harder to keep decisions about targeting and escalation for nuclear weapons separate from decisions about conventional weapons.

“I’ve heard combatant commanders say, ‘Hey, I want someone who can take all the results from a war game and, when I’m in a [crisis] scenario, tell me what the solution is based on what the AI interpretation is,’” says Schneider, a self-described “geriatric millennial” and mother of two who, along with many of her university colleagues, is worried about how fast the shift to AI is happening. In the heat of a crisis, under pressure to move fast, her fear is that it will be easier for those commanders to accept an AI suggestion than to challenge it.

In 2023, the Department of Defense updated its directive on weapons systems involving the use of artificial intelligence, saying that “appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force” are required in any deployment. But critics worry the language remains too vague; the directive, called 3000.09, also includes a “waiver” if a senior Defense official decides to keep the system autonomous. The humans, in other words, can decide to take themselves out of the loop.

---

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s All Nuclear Daily Digest” RELATED MEDIA”:

There are 7 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that also play an important role in the survival of human and other life.

The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:

1. All Things Nuclear
2. Nuclear Power
3. Nuclear Power Emergencies
4. Nuclear War Threats
5. Nuclear War
6. Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in today’s Post.)
7. IAEA News (Friday’s only)

A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.

TODAY’S ALL NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Tuesday, (09/02/2025)

All Things Nuclear

NEWS

The AI Doomsday Machine Is Closer to Reality Than You Think – POLITICO

Politico

In all three movies, high-powered computers take over decisions about launching nuclear weapons from the humans who designed them. The villain in the …

NASA advances lunar nuclear plan with commercial focus – SpaceNews

SpaceNews

But the AFPP says companies “that propose a wholly commercial approach to the end-to-end deployment, all other things being equal, will receive higher …

‘DANGEROUS PRECEDENT’: Expert warns Intel, private nuclear deal are going ‘too far’

YouTube

… nuclear #pipeline #gas #greenenergy #climate # … ‘VERY POWERFUL’: This is what the US naval build up near Venezuela is all a

Nuclear Power

NEWS

NASA advances lunar nuclear plan with commercial focus – SpaceNews

SpaceNews

NASA is moving ahead with plans to support development of a lunar nuclear power system with an emphasis on commercialization.

Michigan nuclear plant enters final phase of restart after being decommissioned

Pennsylvania Capital-Star

In western Michigan, a previously defunct nuclear plant has transitioned back to operating status following the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s …

US Needs New Class Of Investor For Large-Scale Nuclear Projects, Says Report – NucNet

NucNet

Courtesy Georgia Power. If the US is to break the current logjam in building large-scale nuclear power plants, a nuclear financing model is needed …

Nuclear Power Emergencies

NEWS

PJM faces possible long-term ‘energy emergency‘: DOE | Utility Dive

Utility Dive

Under the Federal Power Act, DOE can order power plants to operate for 90 days during emergencies. … Palisades becomes first decommissioned US nuclear …

Michigan’s Palisades Nuclear Plant Reaches Final Restart Phase – Microgrid Media

Microgrid Media

Michigan keeps a strong public program for nuclear radiological emergency preparedness. The state hosts guidance and contacts for residents near …

Kenya targets 20,000MW from nuclear power by 2040 – KBC Digital

KBC Digital

… nuclear power plant in Siaya … “The nuclear project is guided by national and international laws, including emergency preparedness plans.

Nuclear War Threats

NEWS

‘Nuclear armageddon’: China contest on par with Cold War, minister warns – News.com.au

News.com.au

Katter given ultimatum over journo threat. The rogue Queensland MP has been told he should either apologise or resign after he doubled down on threats …

Russia-Ukraine war brings world closer to nuclear catastrophe than any recent conflict

Washington Times

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has been closely monitoring the situation, leading inspection delegations to assess risks. The agency maintains …

Nuclear Debate Can’t Be Dodged 80 Years After the War | JAPAN Forward

JAPAN Forward

These risks become especially acute in the event of a Taiwan contingency. A 2022 war game conducted by NBC’s Meet the Press and the Center for a New .

Nuclear War

NEWS

AI Can’t Start a Nuclear War — Or Can It? – POLITICO

Politico

“The AI is always playing Curtis LeMay,” says Schneider, referring to the notoriously nuke-happy Air Force general of the Cold War. “It’s almost like …

Why Don’t We Take Nuclear Weapons Seriously? | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

In “Preventing Nuclear War,” an essay published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, in 1981, the Harvard law professor Roger Fisher imagines …

Iran says US missile demands block path to nuclear talks | Reuters

Reuters

A sixth round of Iran-U.S. talks was suspended after the start of a 12-day war in June, in which Israel and the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities …

Yellowstone Caldera

NEWS

Are Animals Like Mountain Lions and Bears Leaving Yellowstone National Park?

NewsBreak

An articleabout the rumor posted on the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory website points out that the July 2025 social media post that seems to have set …