By MICHELLE L. PRICE and MANUEL BALCE CENETA Associated Press
Updated
President Donald Trump has declined to say whether he plans to resume underground nuclear detonation tests. He had seemed to suggest that was a possibility in a social media post this week. The post raised concerns the U.S. would begin testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades. The president told reporters, "You'll find out very soon" when he was asked about it. Trump said, "We're going to do some testing" and "Other countries do it. If they're going to do it, we're going to." But he refused to offer more details. He spoke aboard Air Force One as he headed to Florida on Friday for the weekend.
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press
Updated
President Donald Trump has appeared to suggest on social media that the U.S. resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades. There was no indication that the U.S. would start detonating warheads, but the president offered few details about what seemed to be a significant shift in U.S. policy. He made the announcement on social media minutes before meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea. The U.S. military already regularly tests its missiles that are capable of delivering a warhead, but it has not detonated the weapons since 1992 because of a test ban.
By EDITH M. LEDERER and JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press
A senior North Korean diplomat is reiterating that his country won't give up its nuclear weapons despite numerous international demands to do so. Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders, Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son Gyong characterized his country's nuclear weapons as crucial to keeping a "balance of power" with South Korea. Kim amplified his country's longstanding complaints about U.S.-led military exercises with South Korea and Japan. He complained about "growing threat of aggression" from Washington and its allies. South Korea has said the exercises were necessary to counter North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. Numerous U.N. Security Council resolutions have demanded that the North stop building nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Hiroshima is marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japanese city. Many aging survivors express frustration over growing global support for nuclear weapons as deterrence. With survivors' numbers rapidly declining and their average age now over 86, this anniversary is a significant milestone. The bombing on Aug. 6, 1945, killed 140,000 people and a second bomb on Nagasaki killed 70,000 more. Representatives from 120 countries including Russia and Belarus attended the ceremony Wednesday. Survivors and their families also paid tribute to the victims at the peace memorial park.
By JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
Updated
The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding, and U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that U.S. and Iranian officials will talk next week. The ceasefire gives rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace even as Tehran insisted Wednesday it will not give up its nuclear program. Iran has not acknowledged any talks taking place next week, and an Iranian official questioned whether the United States could be trusted after its weekend attack on Iranian nuclear sites. Questions remain about the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program, and the U.N. nuclear watchdog says it has written to Iran to discuss resuming inspections.
By CHRIS MEGERIAN and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press
Updated
President Donald Trump is insisting that U.S. strikes delivered a crushing blow to Iran's nuclear program. That's despite a preliminary American intelligence assessment suggesting that the assault inflicted only a marginal setback. The leaked intelligence assessment said Iran suffered a delay of only a few months. The administration deployed a phalanx of top officials to defend Trump's claims that Iran's nuclear program was "completely and fully obliterated." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the assessment was "preliminary" and "low confidence." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the officials who disclosed the findings are "professional stabbers."
