“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity” ~llaw
May 20, 2025
(See Newsweek article below for image description and photo credits. ~llaw)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR WORLD NEWS TODAY and the GLOBAL RISKS & CONSEQUENCES TOMORROW
In My Opinion: THIS IS AN ALERT, and we need straightforward honest answers from Trump, the Trump administration and the U.S. military . . .
Has the USA’s president, Donald Trump, been intentionally interfering with the confusing and sporadically halting talks regarding Iran’s patient intent to continue on with the original planned talks? It seems so, especially when the U.S. military has been and is sending more and more military equipment, including aircraft carriers, jets, and troops to the Middle East appearing to be preparing for war?
Iran, apparently — by the multiplying ramping-up of their own military defenses and their possible rightful failure to trust Trump’s confusing motivations that have constantly interfered with the once agreed upon talks,— seems to be preparing for the worst. That would be war.
This is a truly frightening situation, and when you consider that Iran and both Israel and the citizenry of the United States, not to mention Yemen, have been most likely lied to by Trump throughout this entire disturbing period of doubts on all sides.
I believe, from carefully following this odd and confusing period, that the leadership of Iran has entirely given up on the idea of reaching common ground on the hoped-for agreement, and that at this juncture they are doing more planning for war rather than thinking about agreements, perhaps intentionally calling Trump’s bluff unless it is not a bluff. According to the article below, Iran has announced that they have at least one ballistic missile that can reach the USA mainland, never mind the kind of warhead it might carry . . . ~llaw
Iran Ramps Up Defenses as Risks of U.S. Attack Grow
Published May 20, 2025 at 10:20 AM EDT
00:31
Iran Unveils Underground Drone Facility
By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East Reporter
The Iranian’s army chief of staff said the country’s air defense capabilities have significantly increased, in preparedness for any violation of its airspace.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for comment.
Why It Matters
Military posturing has continued in parallel with diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening military action if talks fail. The United States and Iran remain at odds over uranium enrichment, making the discussions increasingly fraught and increasing the risk of failure.
What To Know
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major-General Mohammad Baqeri, told an air defense meeting that the country has seen a fivefold increase over the last year in the number of radars, monitoring systems, and detection equipment it has, according to semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
The U.S. Air Force, which has been bolstering military equipment in the remote Diego Garcia airbase with strategic bombers, has meanwhile deployed additional F-15 fighter jets to the Indian Ocean island, bringing the total to six, The War Zone reported, citing a U.S. defense official. Diego Garcia would be within bombing range of Iran.
As the U.S. is pressing Iran to abandon enrichment, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior officials have strongly opposed the demand. “For the Americans to say, ‘We won’t allow Iran to enrich uranium,’ is utter nonsense,” Khamenei posted to his X account, casting doubt on the outcome of ongoing talks.
Baqeri said Iran’s interception and destruction capabilities for aerial threats had increased by as much as three times, adding that Iran’s airspace is under constant surveillance. Tehran has also recently unveiled a new ballistic missile capable of striking U.S. targets.
Iran says that its enrichment of uranium is for a civilian nuclear program, with monitoring from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but the watchdog, the United States and Israel are concerned that enrichment levels and activities could enable it to make nuclear weapons.
Read more Iran
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Speaks Out on Nuclear Deal With Trump
- Qatar Defends ‘Normal’ Jet Gift to Trump’s US
- Map Tracks US Aircraft Carrier Heading Toward Middle East
- US Deploys F-15 Fighter Jets To Defend Indian Ocean Outpost
What People Are Saying
Commander Matthew Comer, Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson, told The War Zone this week: “The F-15s are deployed providing force protection.”
Chief of Staff of the Iranian army Major-General Mohammad Baqeri, as quoted by IRNA News Agency last week: “In case the enemies make a mistake or intend to take action against the establishment and the sacred waters and soil of the Islamic Republic of Iran, our armed forces have the ability and readiness to confront them.”
What Happens Next
Nuclear talks are expected to continue, but the risk of an impasse increases the chances of military action.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’s ALL NUCLEAR DAILY DIGEST” RELATED MEDIA
There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. 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:
- All Things Nuclear
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear Power Emergencies
- Nuclear War Threats
- Nuclear War
- Yellowstone Caldera & Other Volcanoes (Note: There is one Yellowstone Caldera bonus story available in today’s Post.)
- IAEA Weekly News (Friday’s only)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
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 NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS DIGEST, Tuesday, (05/20/2025)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
Seven More Things You Thought You Knew About Nuclear Energy
The Breakthrough Institute
… all signal a potential bull market for new nuclear. But, common misconceptions about the nuclear industry remain pervasive. Last September we …
Nuclear Lobby Fights Back as GOP Slashes Clean Energy Incentives – Yahoo
Yahoo
The thing about nuclear is that it costs a pretty penny upfront, and … all the tools in the tool belt,” the chief executive of that Sam …
At Indiana’s only nuclear reactor, engineers conduct the first experiments of their kind in the U.S.
Purdue University
… all-digital reactor that has been licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. … things that other reactors can’t do. There’s a saying …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Who’s still digging the idea of nuclear energy? | Fiona Katauskas – The Guardian
The Guardian
… Nuclear power. Who’s still digging the idea of nuclear energy? Fiona Katauskas. It’s a grave situation. See more of Fiona Katauskas’s cartoons here.
Bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduce bill to boost nuclear power | Reuters
Reuters
Both parties support nuclear power amid forecasts that electricity demand will surge for years from artificial intelligence data centers. Republican …
Risch Leads Legislation to Counter Adversary Nuclear Energy Programs – Press Releases
Risch.senate.gov
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons (D-Del.) …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
UAE: New FANR report reveals how nuclear safety protects daily life of residents
Gulf News
From energy to emergencies, nuclear safety measures work silently to keep country secure.
“They Were Wrong Again”: Germany Backtracks on Nuclear Power – The European Conservative
The European Conservative
Telecom Failure Cuts Off Spanish Emergency Services … Hungarian PM’s political adviser berates Berlin for putting pressure on the EU, only to reverse …
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Iran Ramps Up Defenses as Risks of U.S. Attack Grow – Newsweek
Newsweek
The U.S. has fortified military presence at its Diego Garcia base as uncertainty looms over nuclear talks. … Iran Ramps Up Defenses as Risks of U.S. …
The World of Threats – According to the Defense Intelligence Agency – The Cipher Brief
The Cipher Brief
Walter Pincus looks at the world of threats and risks – as seen by the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Iran’s Khamenei doubts US nuclear talks will lead to agreement – BBC
BBC
Hopes for Iran nuclear talks tempered by threats and mixed messages … Why war in Middle East involves UK more than you might think. 5 Oct 2024.
Nuclear War
NEWS
Iran’s Khamenei doubts US nuclear talks will lead to agreement – BBC
BBC
… nuclear weapons. Trump, who pulled the US out of a 2015 nuclear … Why war in Middle East involves UK more than you might think. 5 Oct 2024.
Iran’s Khamenei slams ‘outrageous’ US demands in nuclear talks | Reuters
Reuters
… nuclear talks will lead to an agreement … Israel and Hamas at War · Japan · Middle East · Ukraine and Russia at War …
Why the Nuclear Gravity Bomb Has Gotten a Reboot – War on the Rocks
War on the Rocks
Within months of the Cuban Missile Crisis, weapons designers at Los Alamos National Laboratory began engineering what would become the …
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
#15 – Colin Sellers – The American Surveyor
The American Surveyor
… Yellowstone caldera. The discussion highlights the importance of personal inquiry in understanding scientific concepts, the evidence of …