Arms Control Today

"Oppose or Condition the Flawed U.S.-Saudi Agreement for Nuclear Cooperation" September 22, 2026 Dear Senator/Member of Congress: We are writing to express our profound concern about the significant proliferation risks posed by the U.S.-Saudi agreement for civil nuclear cooperation.

Volume 18, Issue 6, September 16, 2026 After more than a decade of intermittent negotiations, the U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation agreement is now finalized and in the hands of Congress. During the mandated 90-day review, members of Congress have a critical opportunity to assess the proliferation risks posed by the Saudi agreement and act to approve, modify, or disapprove it.

From an arms control perspective, the first 100 days of George W. Bush's presidency have been a disaster. President Bush has demonstrated that he believes, and intends to implement, his campaign rhetoric condemning past arms control accomplishments and even the concept of arms control itself. Unless he changes direction, Bush will have effectively demolished the arms control regime that has been painstakingly built over the past 30 years.

Mitigating the Risks of AI Integration into Nuclear Weapons Operations September 11, 2026 National Press Club Washington, DC Thanks, Daryl, and thanks to the Arms Control Association for hosting this morning’s event. And thanks to Erin, Matthew, and Herb for joining me. It is impossible to gather here today, on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, without acknowledging what this day represents.

"The CTBT at 30" Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director, Arms Control Association Remarks for Virtual Appearance for the Valdai Discussion Forum, September 10, 2026 The CTBT is one of the most successful and successful nuclear nonproliferation agreements in the history of the nuclear age. It brought an end to a dangerous, deadly era that involved more than 2,000 nuclear explosions. Today marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly's endorsement of the treaty by a wide 158-3 margin.

September 2026 By Shaghayegh Chris Rostampour Attacks and disruptions on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are rising, heightening concerns about the facility’s ability to maintain essential safety functions. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported Aug. 14 that the plant experienced three losses of off-site power in the first eight days of August, requiring emergency diesel generators to power vital safety systems.

September 2026 By Xiaodon Liang The Chinese military successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) July 6, delivering a dummy warhead to a target location in the Pacific Ocean, according to state media. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fired the missile approximately 7,000 kilometers from the South China Sea to open waters in the South Pacific, between Kiribati and Tuvalu.

September 2026 By Kelsey Davenport The United States signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, but President Donald Trump’s announcement that the deal is contingent upon the kingdom’s recognition of Israel throws the deal’s future into doubt. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman signed the nuclear cooperation agreement, commonly known as a “123 agreement,” July 20 and July 22, respectively.

September 2026 By Mia Clarke, with additional reporting from Daryl Kimball in Rome Motivated by the accelerating development of artificial intelligence and multiplying nuclear weapons dangers, Nobel laureates and other experts have called for an international treaty prohibiting “reckless integration” of AI in nuclear weapons operations. The declaration emerged from a conference July 14-16 at the Vatican.

September 2026 The Untold Story of China’s Nuclear Weapon Development and Testing By Hui Zhang MIT Press, 2025 In this new history of China’s nuclear weapons program through the 1996 testing moratorium, Hui Zhang draws on the publications of Chinese nuclear weapons scientists and engineers over the last three decades to revise and expand on standard accounts.