Nuclear weapon

Chinese-American seismologist detained in China after North Korea nuclear test study publication

The case of Youlin Chen, reported here for the first time, adds an irritant to the tense relationship between the nuclear-armed rivals as Trump seeks to keep the relationship steady.

Dr. Yufang Rong and her husband Dr. Youlin Chen, an American seismologist held for nearly two years by China, pose together in this undated photograph provided on July 13, 2026.
Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Navy Adm. Brad Cooper testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Renewed US blockade on Iranian ports in Strait of Hormuz closer pushes region closer to open war

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on a metal foundry in Gaza City, July 12, 2026.

Hamas's Yahya Sinwar welcomed apocalyptic nuclear war if it meant destroying Israel - analysis

 Palestinians supporters of Hamas attend an anti-Israel rally in the presence of Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City, on May 25, 2021

Hamas documents reveal: Sinwar expected Israel to use nuclear weapons in response to October 7


The stakes of Iran diplomacy: enrichment, ballistic missiles, and Hormuz - opinion

Talks over Iran mask a deeper reality: enrichment, missiles, and Hormuz strategy persist regardless of diplomacy.

An Iranian missile system is displayed next to a banner with a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during Iranian Defence Week, in a street in Tehran, Iran, September 25, 2025.

Khamenei dead, proxy networks destroyed: Has Israel won the war? - editorial

Former supreme leader Ali Khamenei is dead. Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure has been set back to a degree Israeli defense planners would have called fantasy in 2024. But the regime survived.

Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8 2026.

IAEA Director General Grossi shares fears over potential for renewed nuclear arms race

He said Iran's lack of cooperation “led us to a place or a position where we lost the necessary continuity of knowledge to be able to confirm that everything in Iran was in peaceful use."

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi attends an interview with the Reuters team in Vienna, Austria, September 3, 2025.

Seeing ‘one big thing’: Is the Iran war at risk of turning nuclear? - opinion

For Israel and the United States, a nuclear war in the Middle East could take place even while Iran is still non-nuclear.

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7, 2026.

Could Israel and the US achieve victory over Iran? An expert weighs in

Shmuel Rosner, a senior fellow at the Jewish People Policy Institute, shared his perspective on Israel’s current war with Iran in an interview for this week's Deep Dive.

Is Iran surviving the US‑Israel offensive?

Iranian regime hardliners ramp up calls for a nuclear bomb, sources claim

One of the sources alleged there was no plan to change Iran's nuclear doctrine yet and claimed that the regime had not decided to seek a bomb, despite enriching uranium.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf looks on as parliament members chant in support of the IRGC while wearing military uniforms in Tehran, Iran, February 1, 2026; illustrative.

Three scenarios for ending the war with Iran - opinion

The ongoing Iran war shows that ambition without clear objectives risks prolonged conflict and setbacks.

 An illustrative image of the silhouettes of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set to a backdrop of their respective countries' flags.

The Islamic Regime aims to breach nuclear deterrence, Israeli weapons might stop it - opinion

The central challenge of the international community is no longer preventing war between the superpowers, but rather containing attempts by radical regimes to breach the limits of deterrence.

An illustrative image of nuclear missiles being launched from countries around the Mediterranean region for World War III.

US deploys B-2 stealth bombers, 2,200 Marines to Middle East amid war with Iran - report

The force, which may not necessarily be involved in ground combat operations in Iran, includes a squadron of F‑35 fighter jets and tiltrotor MV‑22 Osprey aircraft.

A USAF B-2 Spirit stealth bomber conducts midair refueling, March 5, 2026.

Trump's war in Iran has many explanations, but few answers - opinion

From nuclear threats to regime change, Trump’s reasons for war keep shifting, leaving allies and voters confused.

US President Donald Trump talks to the media upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, March 11, 2026.