To Destroy the Ally: Tactical Nuclear Weapons and the Arithmetic of Salvati

As noted in Arms Control Today, last month marked my 25th year as ACA’s executive director. It’s an honor and a joy to serve the cause of effective arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament, and to work with the many dedicated professional staff and our experienced Board of Directors.

Through the ups and downs of the past two and a half decades, we’ve made a difference on some of the most consequential nuclear weapons policy debates and decisions in this century. (Our annotated ACA timeline includes some of the highlights.)

With the support of our members and institutional funders, we continue to deliver reliable news, analysis, and ideas on weapons-related security issues. We are holding the line against backsliding on arms control and disarmament principles and norms wherever possible, and with our extensive networks of press and policy makers in the United States and beyond, we are taking meaningful action to reduce the threats posed by weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction.

Through it all, we’ve had to adapt our strategies to changes in national and international politics, how news and information is consumed, and to the vicissitudes of philanthropic giving. Today, we are a more resilient, financially stable, and capable organization than ever before.

Through the years, we—along with many others—have furthered the cause of reducing nuclear arsenals, preventing proliferation, ending nuclear testing, and reinforcing the norms against chemical weapons and for the protection of civilians in war.

On the road to ground zero at the former Soviet nuclear test site in eastern Kazakhstan in September 2018.

But we cannot rest. The nuclear sword of Damocles still hangs over all of us. There is more to be done, new opportunities to create and to seize, and of course unexpected crises to manage along the way.

As the civil rights and nuclear disarmament champion Coretta Scott King said:

“The struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.”

The collective efforts of our several generations are more important than ever. Everyone here at the Arms Control Association will continue to do our part.

Onward,

Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director

Recalling Reykjavik: Nuclear Summitry, Then and Now

Once upon a time, U.S. and Russian presidents met to have serious negotiations about nuclear arms control and nuclear abolition.

Oct. 11-12 will be the 40th anniversary of the Reykjavik Summit, perhaps one of the most dramatic and consequential events of the nuclear age. (The summit is the focus of a new, major Hollywood film, Brink of War, which is reviewed by former Washington Post reporter David Hoffman in the September issue of Arms Control Today.)

Through the years, Arms Control Today has published scholarship looking back on that key Reagan-Gorbachev encounter. Earlier this year, Arms Control Today ran an article by Frank von Hippel on "When Gorbachev and Reagan Tried to End the Nuclear Threat.” In 2011, we published, "Reykjavik: When Abolition Was Within Reach,” by Thomas Blanton and Svetlana Savranskaya that was based on declassified documents and notes from the principals. In 2006, we published, “Looking Back: The 1986 Reykjavik Summit," by Amb. James Goodby.

Reykjavik is a reminder that progress on nuclear risk reduction requires careful preparation, a serious give-and-take approach, well-informed and professional negotiating teams, and persistence.

The anniversary of the Reykjavik encounter, where Reagan and Gorbachev seriously discussed a pathway and plan to eliminate their massive arsenals, also reminds us that today there are no high-level discussions between the major nuclear powers on reducing the nuclear threat, let alone exploring nuclear abolition.

Sadly, the Sept. 24 Trump-Xi meeting in Washington reportedly devoted little or no time to the subject of how nuclear armed states can cap and reduce their arsenals and reduce the specter of nuclear war.

ACA will mark the 40th anniversary of Reykjavik by reiterating the call from more than 50 civil society organizations (originally launched in July 2025) to reinvigorate disarmament diplomacy to halt and reverse a new nuclear arms race, and work together to mitigate the risks of AI integration in military and nuclear operations.

For more, see Daryl Kimball’s forthcoming Focus editorial in the October issue of Arms Control Today, “Trump, Xi, Putin Failing to Tackle the Nuclear Threat.”

Remembering Jack …

The ACA family mourns the loss and celebrates the tremendous contributions of friend and former deputy director, Jack Mendelshohn. As former ACA staff members Matt Bunn and Jon Wolfsthal, who worked with Jack in the 1980s and 1990s, wrote in the September Arms Control Today, Jack was “a far-seeing diplomat, family man, teacher, and friend who spent decades working to reduce nuclear dangers.”

He died August 13, five days short of his 92nd birthday.

Before joining ACA, he served on the negotiating teams for the second Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) and Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).

Later, he served as deputy director of the Arms Control Association and then as vice president of the Lawyers Alliance for World Security (LAWS).

“The world is a safer place because of his tireless commitment to common sense and because of the countless people he helped train in national security, nuclear deterrence, and diplomacy who will carry on his legacy,” Bunn and Wolfsthal wrote.

ACA Briefing on “The Risks of AI Integration in Nuclear Operations”

To bring attention to the risks of unconstrained introduction of AI into nuclear weapons operations and interconnected conventional military systems, the Arms Control Association hosted a special briefing on Sept. 11 to examine the challenges and to explore what can be done to reduce the risks. The video recording is available online.

Lt. Gen (Retd.) Jack Shanahan, the inaugural director of the U.S. Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, and who is now an adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for New American Security, led off the session. He described the four “compounding and interconnected areas that demand urgent attention if we are to reduce the risk of unintended or mistaken nuclear use.”

The video recording of the entire event is now online, and the text of Shanahan’s remarks as prepared for delivery are online here.

The session underscored the fact that although the major nuclear-armed states have expressed their support for the principle of keeping “a human in the loop” regarding decisions regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons, that does not sufficiently address the direct and indirect risks.

ACA senior analyst Xiaodon Liang (left), General Jack Shanahan, Stanford’s Herb Lin, ACA senior visiting fellow Matthew Sharp, and Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow, Erin Dumbacher.

ACA Rallies Opposition to Flawed U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Deal

Since the Trump administration transmitted its proposed agreement with Saudi Arabia, ACA staff, led by nonproliferation policy director Kelsey Davenport, have provided the go-to analysis on the controversial deal, through our comprehensive answers to FAQs, our Issue Briefs, media commentary, and more.

Last month, ACA organized a letter to all members of Congress from two dozen leading U.S. nonproliferation experts and former U.S. and IAEA officials, including former IAEA Director General Hans Blix, the IAEA’s former Head of Safeguards, and the former director of its Office of Legal Affairs, and others.

The letter, mentioned in a recent Washington Post report, describes the basis of their “profound concern about the significant proliferation risks posed by the U.S.-Saudi agreement for civil nuclear cooperation.”

The signers added that the agreement is especially “concerning given that key Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, have threatened to develop nuclear weapons to match any Iranian capability.”

If Congress fails to enact a joint resolution of disapproval to block the deal it may enter into force before the end of this year. Alternatively, Congress could approve legislation now, or in the new Congress, that requires that certain conditions are met before the agreement can be implemented, as Congress did in 1985 in connection with the U.S.-China agreement for nuclear cooperation.

TAKE ACTION: Congress needs to hear from you. Contact your Senators and your Representative and call on them to block the implementation of this dangerous agreement so as to reduce the risk of another nuclear-armed state in the Middle East.

Contact Your Members of Congress Today

The CTBT at 30

September 24 marked 30 years since opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, described by then-U.S. Amb. to the UN Madeleine Albright as "the longest-sought, hardest fought prize in arms control history.”

The treaty has not formally entered into force due to its difficult entry into force provision and the nine hold-out states that have not yet ratified. Nevertheless, the CTBT has effectively ended the era of nuclear test explosions.

The treaty’s International Monitoring System is fully operational and more capable than originally envisioned. But without entry into force, the full benefits of its verification system, specifically on-site inspections, are not available.

And due to the threat by President Trump to resume U.S. testing “on an equal basis” and other factors, the CTBT cannot be taken for granted. ACA continues to argue that whether or not China may have conducted a low-yield nuclear test in June 2020, two nuclear wrongs don’t make a right.

Any test by any of the major nuclear powers could set off a chain reaction of nuclear testing that would blow a hole in the already stressed nonproliferation system.

As ACA executive director, Daryl Kimball told The Wall Street Journal last week: “Rather than open the door to a new era of nuclear testing worldwide, the U.S. and others should work together on new technical measures to ensure no state is conducting clandestine low-yield nuclear explosions.”

For more on where the taboo against nuclear testing stands 30 years after the CTBT was concluded, see Kimball remarks on “The CTBT at 30” delivered via video to a forum in Moscow earlier this month.

ACA In the News

“Trump Administration Presses China on Suspected Nuclear Tests in Confidential Talks,” cites ACA Executive Director Daryl Kimball in The Wall Street Journal, September 24.

“Trump wants the Iran war to end. He's sending Israel 40,000 bombs anyway | This is America ,” features Daryl Kimball, Al Jazeera, September 22.

“China is Rapidly Expanding its Nuclear Arsenal. How Should the US React?” cites ACA Senior Policy Analyst Xiaodon Liang in Inkstick, September 21.

“Nonproliferation Risks of the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Agreement,” ACA Nonproliferation Policy Director Kelsey Davenport cited in The Financial Times, September 16.

“U.S. confirms it has weapons in orbit,” quotes Daryl Kimball in Astronomy Magazine, September 15.

“Jared Kushner’s Dollar Diplomacy,” Kelsey Davenport is cited by The New Yorker, September 14.

“Saudi Arabia preparing to grant IAEA more intrusive powers, Grossi says,” Arms Control Association in Reuters, September 7.

“Saudi Nuclear Agreement Could Open a Path to 20% Enrichment,” The Wall Street Journal cites Daryl Kimball, September 2.

"Tactical Nukes Are a Gateway Drug to Armageddon,” in Bloomberg Business News editorial quotes Daryl Kimball, September 2.

“Japan youth messengers call on world to reduce risks of AI-powered military,” Arms Control Association cited in Japan Today, September 1.

“‘Pro-Trump’ Fox News pessimistic about Trump-North Korea dialogue… "A nuclear poker game with an even narrower path",” quotes Kelsey Davenport in The Kyunghyang Shinmun, August 24.

“Trump plays nuclear poker with Kim Jong Un — but who holds the cards?” cites Kelsey Davenport, Fox News, August 23.

“US hypersonic missile drive blurs the nuclear threshold,” Xiaodon Liang in Asia Times, August 17.

“Deterrence for Three: How the U,S. is Changing Nuclear Strategy to Counter Russia and China,” Daryl Kimball quoted by BBC, August 11.

"Syria to hand over nuclear material produced with North Korean assistance, the ‘dirty bomb ingredient’… “US·IAEA agreement”,” The Kyunghyang Shinmun cites the Arms Control Association, August 11.

“What would actually happen if the US cut off aid to Israel?” Daryl Kimball in Vox, August 10.

Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 21:37:43 +0000

Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations

ACA's expert panel explains the AI-nuclear weapons nexus. Watch here.

[email protected] Fri, 09/25/2026 - 17:37

Slide Image

Slide URL link

https://www.armscontrol.org/events-and-remarks/2026-08/mitigating-risks-ai-nuclear-operations

Letter from Nonproliferation Experts on the Flawed U.S. Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Deal

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:34:55 +0000

Letter from Nonproliferation Experts on the Flawed U.S. Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Deal [email protected] Fri, 09/25/2026 - 11:34

Why does the US want to send Israel 40,000 bombs?

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:30:46 +0000

Why does the US want to send Israel 40,000 bombs? [email protected] Fri, 09/25/2026 - 11:30

News Link

https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/9/22/why-does-the-us-want-to-send…

News Source

Al Jazeera

Cited

Daryl Kimball

News Date

Tuesday, September 22, 2026 - 12:00

China is Rapidly Expanding its Nuclear Arsenal. How Should the US React?

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:29:11 +0000

China is Rapidly Expanding its Nuclear Arsenal. How Should the US React? [email protected] Fri, 09/25/2026 - 11:29

News Link

https://inkstickmedia.com/china-nuclear/

News Source

Inkstick

Cited

Xiaodon Liang

News Date

Monday, September 21, 2026 - 12:00

Nonproliferation Risks of the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Agreement

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:27:31 +0000

Nonproliferation Risks of the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Agreement [email protected] Fri, 09/25/2026 - 11:27

News Link

https://finchannel.com/nonproliferation-risks-of-the-u-s-saudi-nuclear-cooperat…

News Source

The Financial

Cited

Kelsey Davenport

News Date

Wednesday, September 16, 2026 - 12:00

Kushner, Witkoff Accused of ‘Total Malpractice’ in Iran Talks

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 15:26:19 +0000

Kushner, Witkoff Accused of ‘Total Malpractice’ in Iran Talks [email protected] Fri, 09/25/2026 - 11:26

News Link

https://ijr.com/journals/sandra-rhodes/kushner-witkoff-accused-of-total-malprac…

News Source

Independent Journal Review

Cited

Kelsey Davenport

News Date

Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - 12:00

Arms Control Association - The authoritative source on arms control since 1971.

To Destroy the Ally: Tactical Nuclear Weapons and the Arithmetic of Salvati

The Diplomatic Insight

Iran’s Bitterness and Bewilderment Over How to Make Peace with Trump

New Yorker, The

US challenges China on secret nuclear tests as arms race looms

Asia Times

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations

Mitigating the Risks of AI in Nuclear Operations

Letter from Nonproliferation Experts on the Flawed U.S. Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Deal

Why does the US want to send Israel 40,000 bombs?

Al Jazeera

China is Rapidly Expanding its Nuclear Arsenal. How Should the US React?

Inkstick

Nonproliferation Risks of the U.S.-Saudi Nuclear Cooperation Agreement

The Financial

Kushner, Witkoff Accused of ‘Total Malpractice’ in Iran Talks

Independent Journal Review