July/August 2025
Eighty years ago on July 16, the first nuclear bomb was detonated in New Mexico. No one knew exactly how big the blast would be but they knew there would be fallout. Still, the U.S. government chose not to evacuate people near the site. In the days that followed, the fallout from the Trinity test fell on unsuspecting communities downwind from the “Trinity” test site and far beyond, many of whom are still suffering from the impacts.
Days later, the U.S. government unleashed those bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, creating a hell on earth and killing more than 214,000 people by the end of 1945, and many more in the years since.
The United States and Russia went on to conduct hundreds of atmospheric nuclear tests over the lands and waters of the Pacific, in Kazakhstan, and beginning in 1951 in southern Nevada. In total, there have been 2,056 nuclear test detonations. The United States and Russia, along with seven others, would go on to produce some 70,000 nuclear weapons at a vast array of nuclear weapons production sites, creating toxic and radioactive contamination that have created long-lasting and irreversible health and environmental damage.
In response, individuals and civil society organizations around the world have successfully pushed their governments to take steps to reduce the nuclear danger, slash the number of nuclear weapons, halt and then ban nuclear explosive testing, close dirty bomb production operations, curb the spread of nuclear weapons, conclude the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and uphold the goal achieving the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
But as we observe the somber 80th anniversaries of the nuclear weapons age, the catastrophic risks posed by these weapons are growing once again. Dangerous deterrence relationships exist between the world’s nine nuclear-armed states; spending on nuclear weapons is rising; and diplomacy on disarmament is stalled. The last remaining treaty limiting the U.S. and Russian arsenals, New START, will expire in less than 200 days.
We owe it to past and future generations to demand that today’s leaders take meaningful action to halt and reverse the new nuclear arms race and engage in effective diplomacy to reduce and eliminate the nuclear weapons threat.
This is why, I, along with the leaders of more than two dozen regional, national, and international civil society organizations, former government officials and advisors, leading academicians and experts, and concerned cultural figures have joined together to launch a short, focused rallying call for urgent action to halt and reverse the new arms race and step back from the brink of nuclear war.
The new, multi-organization call to action to “Halt and Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race,” call launched on July 10, can be found online here: ReverseTheArmsRace.org (A list of the endorsements to date is available here.)
The “Call” is a joint effort that emerged from the December 2024 Nuclear Disarmament Campaigners Strategy Retreat co-organized by ACA and the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
In the weeks and months following the launch, we will be inviting still more leaders of civil society organizations, former officials, and cultural figures in the United States and around the globe, to lend their support for the “Call,” and weigh-in to build a safer world for everyone.
Stay tuned and thanks for your support for our work!
Daryl G. Kimball,
Executive Director
Marking the 80th Anniversary of the Nuclear Age
On July 10, the Arms Control Association and Win Without War Education Fund teamed-up to host a special half-day conference to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the nuclear age: “From Trinity to Today: Nuclear Weapons and the Way Forward.”
If you missed any part of the program, the edited and archived video is available below, on CSPAN, and on our Youtube channel. Nearly 500 viewers joined us online or in person.
The event featured the voices of those impacted by nuclear weapons use, testing, and production, and the event also highlighted the power of citizen movements to change the course of nuclear history for the better.
“Conveying the harsh realities of the nuclear weapons use, nuclear testing, and nuclear weapons production is important as a starting point for all nuclear disarmament efforts,” co-host Daryl Kimball said.
"Our speakers helped remind us of the difficult experiences, the wisdom, and resilience of the communities affected by nuclear weapons use, testing and production through these many decades in Japan, in the United States, and around the globe,” noted Win Without War executive director Sara Haghdoosti. "We urge everyone who listens not just to hear their testimonies, but to share their stories and commit to doing at least one thing that results in concrete action,” she said.
For more on the human impact of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, see the following items from the pages of Arms Control Today.
- “Eighty Years After the Atomic Bomb Attacks My Mother’s Stories Still Haunt Me,” by Masako Wada, a survivor of the Nagasaki atomic bombing and the assistant secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. (From the July/Aug. 2025 issue.)
- “Setsuko Thurlow Remembers the Hiroshima Bombing,” by Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor and leading advocate for nuclear abolition. (From the July/Aug. 2020 issue.)
- “The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings and the Nuclear Danger Today,” by Daryl G. Kimball, on how the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings have shaped the global debate about nuclear weapons and the ongoing pursuit of nuclear disarmament. (From the July/Aug. 2020 issue.)
ACA Experts Warn that Iran Nuclear Crisis Is Not Over
Once again, we are at a perilous moment in the long-running effort to curb Iran’s nuclear weapons potential.
Trump's decision last month -- at the behest of Israel and without congressional consultation or authorization — to pivot away from negotiations with Iran and to join Israel’s illegal military attack on Iran by ordering U.S. strikes on the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan nuclear sites has not only risked a wider war with Iran. It has also severely complicated the long-term task of containing Iran's nuclear weapons potential.
The U.S. bombings damaged the nuclear facilities, but Iran’s nuclear knowledge, its stockpile of 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60-percent uranium-235, its centrifuge manufacturing capacity, and its determination to keep the nuclear program going remain. The bombings led Iran to eject IAEA inspectors. There are no talks underway.
Iran says it is open to resuming talks and allowing IAEA inspectors back in, but only if Trump will guarantee there are no further strikes or assassinations of Iranian scientists.
Meanwhile the U.S. and European powers are threatening to reimpose international sanctions by August if Iran doesn’t agree to a negotiated deal to curtail its program and allow the IAEA back into the country.
In the weeks ahead, ACA’s team led by our director for nonproliferation policy, Kelsey Davenport will continue to work overtime to provide analysis and information for diplomats, members of Congress and their staff, and the many reporters and editors covering the fast-paced crisis. And we'll remain focused on advancing progress toward the conclusion of a negotiated deal that not only blocks Iran's nuclear weapons potential but also avoids a wider war and Iranian withdrawal from the NPT.
For more information and analysis, see our new, comprehensive Issue Brief on “Iran’s Nuclear Program After the Strikes: What’s Left and What’s Next?,“ and the latest news reporting and our interview with former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in this month’s issue of Arms Control Today.
ACA Annual Meeting Set for Sept. 25
Mark your calendar! This yeaACA’s annual meeting, will take place from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm on September 25 at the the conference rooms of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.
Our sessions will delve into the most pressing nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament challenges facing the world today, and how we can address these challenges and move towards a safer world.
Register here and more look for information about speakers and panel topics coming soon.
ACA Joins Nobel Laureates Assembly, Deep Cuts Commission Meeting
Earlier this month, ACA Board Chair Tom Countryman was among 60 nuclear and security experts who gathered in Chicago on the occasion of the July 16 anniversary of the first nuclear blast and issued a Declaration on the Prevention of Nuclear War, which reinforces the core messages in the new “Call to Halt and Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race,” launched on July 10.
Also this month, ACA senior analyst Xiaodon Liang joined other members of the U.S.-Russian-European Deep Cuts Commission for a “track 2” meeting in Belgrade, Serbia to assess current challenges and map out the group’s workplan for the coming year. ACA is the U.S. project partner for the commission, which was established in 2013 and is supported by a grant from the German Federal Foreign Office.
Reorganization and Layoffs Hit the State Department
On Friday, July 11, the details of Secretary of State Rubio’s sweeping overhaul and downsizing of the State Department were revealed. More than 1,300 positions, including many key roles and offices were eliminated. The changes will adversely affect the United States capacity to address foreign policy and WMD challenges for years to come.
As we reported in the June issue of Arms Control Today, among other things, the reorganization plan folds the International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau (ISN) and the Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability Bureau (ADS) (formerly the Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Bureau (AVC)) into a single bureau with one assistant secretary instead of two.
One result: the entire multilateral nuclear affairs team, which is responsible for a range of critical issues, has been eliminated. Also, the incoming Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security, Thomas DiNanno (who is not yet confirmed), will have a wider range of topics to cover and fewer nonproliferation and arms control staff to help him be successful.
ACA In the News
Information is influence. For most of the public, and for many policymakers, news reporting by mainstream news media outlets is their primary source of information on international and weapons related security matters. Much of social media is also driven by the information and analysis provided by this reporting.
ACA’s team of experts are regularly cited, especially when there are significant WMD-related developments. In the month of June alone, ACA experts or information were cited in more than 2,000 new stories published in the United States and around the world. The following is just a small sample.
“Underground with America’s Nuclear Missile Crews: The cost of replacing ageing ICBMs is soaring as a new arms race looms.” The Economist cites Daryl Kimball’s critical assessment of the Sentinel missile program and the destabilizing role of land-based missiles,, July 21, 2025.
“What you can do about nuclear weapons - 80 years after Trinity blast,” ACA information is cited in an oped published in dozens of local U.S. papers, July 15, 2025.
“Hundreds laid off in State Department overhaul.” Tom Countryman speaks with National Public Radio’s Michele Kelemen, July 11, 2025.
“The Risk of Nuclear War Is Greater Now Than in Decades: A new global coalition seizes the moment to campaign for a halt and reversal of the nuclear arms race,” David Cortright, explains the rationale and purpose of the “Call to Halt and Reverse the Nuclear Arms Race” in The Nation, July 8. 2025
“What everyone gets right — and wrong — about nuclear weapons,” Kelsey Davenport is cited in The Washington Post, July 7, 2025.
“Why is Iran doubling down on its nuclear program?,” Kelsey Davenport explain via Deutsche Welle, July 4, 2025
“How U.S. strikes on Iran could impact nuclear non-proliferation across the world,” ACA’s Daryl Kimball speaks with National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition, June 29, 2025
“U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites set up "cat-and-mouse" hunt for missing uranium,” Kelsey Davenport is quoted by Reuters, June 29, 2025.
“What we don't know about the Israel-Iran war,” Daryl Kimball is interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, June 27, 2025.
“Iran-Israel latest: Trump compares US strikes on nuclear sites to Hiroshima atomic bombing,” Kelsey Davenport is quoted by the Independent, June 27, 2025.
“Trump says Iran ‘wants to talk.’ Tehran disagrees,” Tom Countryman is cited by Politico, June 27, 2025.
“Arms Control Analyst: "too early to tell" if Iran's nuclear program has been completely destroyed,” CNN, June 23, 2025. Daryl Kimball spoke with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on what we know and what we don’t know about Iran’s nuclear program after the U.S. strikes.
“Iranian regime in a 'weakened position,' says former U.S. state department official.” ABC News interviews Tom Countryman, June 23, 2025 (video).
New Support for the Arms Control Association
ACA depends on the generous support of several generous philanthropic institutions and our loyal members and individual donors. We are pleased to announce that in recent weeks ACA was awarded the following grants:
- In April, we received a renewal grant from the Rockefeller Bros. Fund for $100,000 for Iran nuclear-related project work for one year.
- In June, ACA was awarded a major general support renewal grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York for $850,000 over two years. This is the largest grant in ACA’s history and is an important sign of confidence in our work from the single largest funder in the field.
- Also in June, ACA was awarded a grant from the Ploughshares Fund for $53,000 to support the work of the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction, which is based at the Arms Control Association.
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