International
Coverage of allied nuclear programs, non-proliferation efforts, arms control developments, and foreign nuclear competition relevant to U.S. policy and industry.
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
X-Energy files reactor design application with UK regulator
X-Energy this week submitted an application for its Xe-100 small modular reactor to the United Kingdom’s Generic Design Assessment process. The company is developing the Xe-100 reactor, which is a high-temperature gas-cooled SMR capable of producing 80 megawatts of electricity. The reactor, which is also being reviewed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the United […]
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Non-Proliferation
NNSA removes last cesium-using medical device from Lebanon
As part of its efforts to remove high-risk radioactive material from the world, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Friday it has taken the last cesium-137 blood irradiator from Lebanon. It is an important milestone, NNSA said in a Friday May 29 press release. That’s because the cesium inside these medical […]
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Non-Proliferation
NPT review conference president urges sustained dialogue among nuclear powers
The president of the 2026 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference says continued engagement among the five recognized nuclear-weapon states is critical to reducing risks and preserving prospects for future arms control progress amid growing geopolitical tensions. Speaking at the Arms Control Association’s annual meeting, Vietnam’s United Nations Ambassador Do Hung Viet said disagreements among […]
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Non-Proliferation
NPT review conference president urges sustained dialogue among nuclear powers
The president of the 2026 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference says continued engagement among the five recognized nuclear-weapon states is critical to reducing risks and preserving prospects for future arms control progress amid growing geopolitical tensions. Speaking at the Arms Control Association’s annual meeting, Vietnam’s United Nations Ambassador Do Hung Viet said disagreements among […]
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Non-Proliferation
Merkley still concerned about “gold standard” nuclear agreement with Saudis
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) remains concerned that a prospective U.S.-Saudi Arabia 123 agreement may not include the “gold standard” nonproliferation provisions that bar uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. “You know, I have raised this at every opportunity, and always the answer is opaque,” Merkley said in an interview. “But what my impression is, no […]
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Non-Proliferation
Merkley still concerned about “gold standard” nuclear agreement with Saudis
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) remains concerned that a prospective U.S.-Saudi Arabia 123 agreement may not include the “gold standard” nonproliferation provisions that bar uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. “You know, I have raised this at every opportunity, and always the answer is opaque,” Merkley said in an interview. “But what my impression is, no […]
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Non-Proliferation
Iran NPT exit could spur regional proliferation, scholar warns
An Iranian withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) could destabilize the Middle East nonproliferation regime and prompt regional states to reconsider their treaty commitments, Iran scholar Sina Azodi said this week. Speaking at a Monday event hosted by the Stimson Center and moderated by former Iran task force leader Barbara […]
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Non-Proliferation
Iran NPT exit could spur regional proliferation, scholar warns
An Iranian withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) could destabilize the Middle East nonproliferation regime and prompt regional states to reconsider their treaty commitments, Iran scholar Sina Azodi said Monday. Speaking at an event hosted by the Stimson Center and moderated by former Iran task force leader Barbara Slavin, Azodi […]
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International
Post ceasefire, Russia tests nuclear ballistic missile that could deploy in 2026
Russia said Tuesday it successfully tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile and plans to field the weapon later this year, a move that came as ceasefire efforts in Ukraine appeared increasingly strained. The country had carried out a successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, according to comments made during a meeting with Strategic […]
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International
Post ceasefire, Russia tests nuclear ballistic missile that could deploy in 2026
Russia said Tuesday it successfully tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile and plans to field the weapon later this year, a move that came as ceasefire efforts in Ukraine appeared increasingly strained. The country had carried out a successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, according to comments made during a meeting with Strategic […]
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
Round Up: DOE approves Aalo’s safety analysis; NRC OKs Oklo’s topical report; U.S.-U.K. companies collaborate on fusion plant and more
The Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office approved Aalo Atomics documented safety analysis for the company’s Aalo-X critical test reactor April 30, the company said Tuesday. This approval under DOE’s authorization for the reactor pilot program puts Aalo into its final pre-operational phase, the operational readiness review, Aalo said. The Austin, Texas-based microreactor developer joins […]
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International
Canada to release new nuclear strategy this year
The Canadian government plans to unveil a new energy strategy centered around bolstering its domestic nuclear industry, according to an April 29 press release. The new plan, Nuclear Energy Strategy for Canada, will be released by the end of this year. Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson made the announcement during the […]
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International
Russia maintains largest nuclear weapons stockpile, report says
Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, a position it is leveraging alongside an expanding set of strategic capabilities, according to a May 1 report by the Congressional Research Service and U.S. Naval Institute. The report said Pentagon’s 2026 National Defense Strategy assesses that Moscow maintains the biggest stockpile globally and continues to modernize and […]
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International
IAEA: drone strike hits Zaporizhzhia laboratory
A drone strike targeted infrastructure at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on May 3, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA said on X Sunday the drone hit an external radiation control laboratory located outside the plant’s main perimeter. No injuries were reported, and the extent of damage remains unclear pending […]
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International
Russia maintains largest nuclear weapons stockpile, report says
Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, a position it is leveraging alongside an expanding set of strategic capabilities, according to a May 1 report by the Congressional Research Service and U.S. Naval Institute. The report said Pentagon’s 2026 National Defense Strategy assesses that Moscow maintains the biggest stockpile globally and continues to modernize and […]
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International
Canada to release new nuclear strategy this year
The Canadian government plans to unveil a new energy strategy centered around bolstering its domestic nuclear industry, according to an April 29 press release. The new plan, Nuclear Energy Strategy for Canada, will be released by the end of this year. Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson made the announcement during the […]
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International
IAEA: drone strike hits Zaporizhzhia laboratory
A drone strike targeted infrastructure at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on May 3, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA said on X Sunday the drone hit an external radiation control laboratory located outside the plant’s main perimeter. No injuries were reported, and the extent of damage remains unclear pending […]
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International
Chernobyl at 40: The World’s Worst Nuclear Power Accident and Where It Stands Now
By Alice Marchuk, Jack Goras, and Aaron Larson At 1:23 a.m. local time on April 26, 1986, a sudden and uncontrollable power surge destroyed Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located about 130 kilometers (km, 81 miles) north of Kyiv and just 20 km (12.5 miles) south of the Belarusian border. The explosion—followed […]
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International
Electric Boat gets first AUKUS contract to support allied subs
The Navy last Thursday awarded General Dynamics’ Electric Boat division an initial $197 million contract to support the AUKUS program as it helps Australia set up the capability to build and maintain nuclear-powered attack submarines. AUKUS is the trilateral framework between the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom to supply nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear […]
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International
IAEA commemorates Chernobyl 40th anniversary
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) posted a video April 26 remarking on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, known to many as the “worst nuclear accident ever.” “We are marking a somber anniversary,” Rafael Grossi, the director general of the international nuclear watchdog, said in the video on the agency’s […]
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International
Electric Boat gets first AUKUS contract to support allied subs
The Navy last Thursday awarded General Dynamics’ Electric Boat division an initial $197 million contract to support the AUKUS program as it helps Australia set up the capability to build and maintain nuclear-powered attack submarines. AUKUS is the trilateral framework between the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom to supply nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear […]
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International
IAEA commemorates Chernobyl 40th anniversary
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) posted a video April 26 remarking on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, known to many as the “worst nuclear accident ever.” “We are marking a somber anniversary,” Rafael Grossi, the director general of the international nuclear watchdog, said in the video on the agency’s […]
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International
Energysec says DOE nuclear experts involved in Iran negotiations
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told the Senate Energy and Environmental Resources Committee Tuesday Department of Energy nuclear experts are involved in negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran, including himself. “Look, I’m the primary energy advisor to the president and have been discussing the Iran situation, and potential solutions to the Iran situation since the […]
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International
Energysec says DOE nuclear experts involved in Iran negotiations
Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told the Senate Energy and Environmental Resources Committee Tuesday Department of Energy nuclear experts are involved in negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran, including himself. “Look, I’m the primary energy advisor to the president and have been discussing the Iran situation, and potential solutions to the Iran situation since the […]
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Cleanup & Remediation
Wrap Up: DOE cites Moab tailings work; Los Alamos lab promotes exec; Japan looks at island for waste; nuclear cruising; more
Officials in Grand County, Utah joined Department of Energy representatives April 9 to celebrate removal of 16 million tons of tailings from a site next to the Colorado River as part of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project. DOE said. Commemorative plaques now honor the Moab Project that started in 2009, according to […]
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Advanced Nuclear & SMRs
Round Up: LLNL partners with startup for fusion R&D; Japan approves preliminary repository study; Swalwell resignation; Cruise lines to consider nuclear power
The Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has entered into a partnership this week with the nuclear fusion startup Inertia Enterprises to explore and develop new fusion technology. According to LLNL’s Tuesday press release, the partnership consists of a cooperative research and development agreement focused on laser development and two strategic partnership projects. The […]
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International
Trump says Iran handing over uranium after U.S.-Iran talks reach stalemate
President Donald Trump said Thursday on Truth Social Tehran agreed to give up the uranium buried after the Midnight Hammer airstrikes in June 2025, which would greatly reduce Iran’s ability to construct a nuclear weapon if true. Tehran has not yet confirmed the agreement, according to the Washington Post. Earlier this week, U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations […]
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International
IAEA confirms North Korea is expanding nuclear complex
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday North Korea has made a “very serious increase” to progress on its Yongbyon nuclear weapons complex, with expansions possibly including a new uranium enrichment facility. Grossi made his comments at a filmed press conference in Seoul, South Korea, where he met with South […]
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International
IAEA confirms North Korea is expanding nuclear complex
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Wednesday North Korea has made a “very serious increase” to progress on its Yongbyon nuclear weapons complex, with expansions possibly including a new uranium enrichment facility. Grossi made his comments at a filmed press conference in Seoul, South Korea, where he met with South […]
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International
U.S.-Iran talks reach stalemate over uranium enrichment
United States–Iran nuclear negotiations have hit a stalemate over a fundamental dispute on uranium enrichment limits, major news outlets reported this week, underscoring the gap between nonproliferation demands and Tehran’s red lines. The U.S. proposed a sweeping restriction that would require Iran to halt uranium enrichment for up to 20 years and relinquish its existing […]




