CND's Press Round-Up - 14th April 2021
Posted: 14th April 2021
Dear all,
Please find today’s press round up below. Thank you to all for their continued help and support.
Nuclear Weapons
A very senior civil servant has claimed that the warhead increase can be carried through even if the Biden administration gives in to left pressure and scraps the W93 programme, whilst Iran has said it will enrich uranium to a higher level of purity.
UK Warhead Increase
The Ministry of Defence’s director-general for strategy and international issues has said that the UK’s nuclear warhead stockpile would not be impacted by any decision the U.S. makes in relation to the W93 programme. DefenseNews reports that Angus Lapsley told a Washington D.C. thinktank event that while there was ‘mutual support’, nevertheless ‘you [still] end up with a U.K. warhead and an American warhead’. The civil servant also rejected the idea that the warhead increase was related to co-operation agreements with the U.S. in relation to the W93 programme.
Iran
CNN reports that the International Atomic Energy Organization has been told by Iranian authorities that the country intends to enrich uranium up to 60% purity, compared to its current enrichment programmes which take it to 20% purity. Generally, levels of 90% purity are required for the production of a nuclear weapon. The Biden administration has condemned the move and said that ‘calls into question Iran’s seriousness with regard to the nuclear talks’. The Iranian Mehr News Agency said that the Iranian state intends to add 1,000 more centrifuges to the Natanz facility, representing an increase in production capacity of 50%.
At a joint press conference in Jerusalem with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who is visiting Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran had ‘never given up efforts to obtain nuclear weapons’ and refused to comment when asked about the cyber-attack on Natanz, according to U.S. News. This comes as the Russian Foreign Minister visits Tehran. Al Jazeera says that Sergei Lavrov met with President Hassan Rouhani and discussed attempts to revive the JCPoA as well as delivery of Sputnik V vaccination doses to Iran.
Anti-War
Israeli sources are accusing Iran of attacking a merchant vessel in the Persian Gulf, whilst China has said it wants to begin international negotiations on demilitarising space as a matter of urgence.
Shipping in the Persian Gulf
The Jerusalem Post reports that an Israeli-owned ship was attacked off the coast of the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday. The attack was apparently carried out by a missile or drone though there were no casualties and damage is said to be ‘light’. Israeli media is speculating that Iran may be behind the attack.
China-Space Diplomacy
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said it wants to see negotiations on arms control in space urgently start, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. China has said it wants a 2014 draft document introduced in Geneva to be the starting point for negotiations. The spokesperson said that ‘We are calling on the international community to start negotiations and reach agreement on arms control in order to ensure space safety as soon as possible’.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Power-UK
The Office for Nuclear Regulation has granted permission for two reactors at the Hunterston B nuclear power plant to return to operation for a limited period of time, according to the World Nuclear News website. Each reactor will operate for six months before the plant moves to the defueling state. The two reactors had been previously taken off-line after cracks were discovered in them during an inspection.
With best wishes,
Michael Muir
Press and Communications Officer
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament