Last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped a bombshell: in January, Mossad agents stole some fifty-five thousand printed pages and 183 compact discs detailing Iran’s past convert nuclear weapons activities, by breaking into a warehouse and flying them out of the country. The significance of his disclosure was immediately controversial.

With the world focused on the United States and North Korea, it’s easy to forget that every president for a quarter-century has said preventing nuclear terrorism was a national security priority. This includes the Trump administration, which identified in its Nuclear Posture Review that nuclear terrorism is one of “the most significant threats to the security of the United States.” It appears, however, despite this strong rhetoric, the administration may not be putting its money where its mouth is.

In February, the Pentagon released a new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), a comprehensive overview of the nation’s nuclear forces, their disposition, and plans for the future. Here, Belfer Center experts share their assessments of this NPR and the future of America’s nuclear capabilities.

"Belfer Center Newsmakers" highlights members of the Belfer Center community who have been featured recently in the news.

On November 9-11, Executive Director for Research Gary Samore hosted a Track II conference on “Northeast Asia in Strategic Transition” with participants from the U.S., Republic of Korea, and China.

• U.S. experts debate whether russia can be a viable CT partner for America.
• Graham Allison on importance of prevention of nuclear terrorism.
• Russia’s National Guard is mulling drone defense at NPP.
• U.S. Nuclear Posture Review on countering nuclear terrorism.

As George Orwell once observed, some ideas are so absurd that only the intelligentsia could hold them; ordinary people would not be so foolish. A case in point is a reported proposal to allow the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium and reprocess spent reactor fuel—two activities that could bring it within weeks of acquiring nuclear weapons—under a developing civil nuclear cooperation agreement.

Just four weeks ago, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s commander, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, told the Associated Press that Tehran was imposing a 1,242-mile range limit on its surface-to-surface ballistic missiles. Although lax (all of Israel’s bases, and most of America’s in the Gulf and Middle East, fall within this range), this limit should be seen as a start. The question now is how much further might the United States and other like-minded countries be able to push Iran to impose tighter controls.

• Elbe Group members participate in Moscow conference.
• U.S. and Russian experts weigh in on North Korea’s nuclear missile program, call for preservation of the nuclear deal with Iran.
• NNSA Reports that some nuclear security cooperation with Russia is continuing.
• Saradzhyan testifies on potential for U.S.-Russian counter-terrorism cooperation.
• Bunn and Roth ponder effects of a nuclear terrorist bomb explosion.