Why Macron fears Iran’s nuclear program is nearing ‘point of no return’
French President Emmanuel Macron warned the world on Monday, Jan. 6, that Iran is nearing “the point of no return” when it comes to procuring potential nuclear weapons. Macron said during his address to French ambassadors that Tehran has enough enriched uranium to power a handful of nuclear warheads, and called Iran the biggest strategic threat that Europe faces.
It’s not just Macron who said Iran is increasing its enriched uranium stockpile. The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in December that Iran was “dramatically” accelerating enrichment, and roughly 90% of its uranium stockpile was at bomb-grade level.
France was part of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which fell apart in 2018 when the first Trump administration withdrew the United States. Under that deal, Iran had agreed to pull back on its nuclear program in exchange for international sanctions being lifted.
As a result of the U.S. backing out, Iran began enriching uranium at higher levels, which reportedly shortened the time needed to make a nuclear device from months to weeks.
President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday, Jan. 20, is also reportedly raising fresh concerns after he drew a hardline with Tehran during his first term.
Macron said he is still debating whether more sanctions may be the answering to deterring Tehran from further enhancing its nuclear program and will talk with the incoming Trump administration about the “Iranian question.”
Iran’s nuclear program has reached a critical point, with intelligence reports indicating uranium enrichment is nearing weapons-grade levels. Analysts suggest Tehran has accumulated sufficient enriched material for multiple nuclear bombs, should its leadership decide to proceed.
While Iranian officials deny any intention of developing nuclear weapons, U.S. and Israeli authorities are preparing to address the potential threat.
Proposed measures include tightening economic sanctions to further destabilize Tehran’s economy, and providing advanced military support to Israel, such as bunker-busting munitions capable of targeting deeply buried nuclear sites.
Israeli officials, bolstered by recent air superiority gained in Syria and Iran following October airstrikes, view the current situation as a pivotal moment.
Reports suggest the Israeli air force is readying for potential preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, should such actions become necessary.
Recent Israeli airstrikes across Syria have already undermined Iran’s regional influence, targeting weapons stockpiles and air defense systems weakened by the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime. These operations are part of a broader strategy to curtail Iran’s military reach and deny advanced weaponry to its proxies.
Despite escalating tensions, diplomatic solutions remain an option.
Iran has signaled a willingness to negotiate but insists on terms that exclude external pressure. Iranian officials have warned that any attack on its nuclear facilities could lead to a withdrawal from international agreements, further heightening the stakes.
Both U.S. and Israeli officials emphasize the urgency of staying ahead in what they describe as a high-stakes race. While neither nation seeks a larger conflict, their shared focus remains on deterring Iran and preventing nuclear weapons from entering the equation.
Belarus, Russia strengthen relations with security treaty, possible nuclear weapons
Russia’s relationship with Belarus has become even stronger as the two countries sign a security treaty. The pact solidified Russia’s closest ally, rolling out new facilities to house powerful weapons for Moscow.
The European country borders Russia, and is key for the Kremlin as war continues just past Belarus’ border in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given Belarus access to its nuclear power, including its newest hypersonic ballistic missile. The country’s doctrine says that if Russia or one of its allies’ sovereignty is threatened, they can use nuclear weapons for protection. The timing comes as tensions mount due to continued support by Western countries for Ukraine.
Following the agreement, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, “I have warned all my enemies, ‘friends’ and adversaries: If you step on the border, the answer will be momentary.”
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for 30 years with the help of Russia, including during major protests against his rule in 2020 and 2021.
On Tuesday, Dec. 10, Lukashenko made a public request to Putin. He asked the leader to deploy more weapons to Belarus to “calm some heads.” He asked specifically for the Oreshnik missile, a high-powered missile that Russia has used against Ukraine. According to Putin, the Oreshnik can move at 10 times the speed of sound and hit a target without detection by defense systems.
In response, Putin said these missiles could reach Belarus during the second half of 2025. He said Belarus could choose the targets but would not take command over nuclear power.
Putin maintains that Moscow will retain control of these weapons after they are deployed to Russia’s ally. On the other hand, Belarus’ security council said it’s up to the president to approve them.
Dissenting, exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took to X to criticize the pact. Tsikhanouskaya said it strengthens Russia’s control. About Putin, she said, “The deployment of new weapons and using Belarus as a pawn in his imperial ambitions threatens us all.”
In 2022, Lukashenko allowed Russia to use his country as a corridor to send troops into Ukraine. He also said Belarus already holds dozens of tactical weapons that went undetected by the West.
This is why it would be ‘ludicrous’ for Russia to use nuclear weapons
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, is threatening to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine gets or uses certain other weapons in certain ways.
In the latest example of nuclear saber-rattling, Moscow changed its protocols for using nuclear weapons. If a non-nuclear country like Ukraine, is allied with a nuclear-armed country like the United States, and puts Russian sovereignty at risk, the Kremlin said it will use nukes.
Over the course of the war in Ukraine, Russia has issued dozens of threats concerning the use of its nuclear weapons, and each time the threat rang hollow. Straight Arrow News Reporter Ryan Robertson spoke with Matt Shoemaker, a former U.S. intelligence officer who spent time on the Russia desk, about whether to take Russia’s threats seriously.
The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity. You can watch the full interview in the video above.
Ryan Robertson: The last couple of days, the announcement came out that Russia was amending its protocols for nuclear responses to say that if Ukraine, or a nation, attacks Russia with long-range weapons that puts Russian sovereignty at risk, and that nation is being backed by a nuclear power, then Russia can use nuclear weapons.
The announcement was made in September, and went live at the same time Ukraine was using long-range ATACMS outside of Kursk. Is this all just more bluster from Putin?
Matthew Shoemaker: Short answer, yes. There’s been a lot of sensationalism, especially here in the United States, with regards to this usage of ATACMS. If you go on the Drudge Report, for example, the past three days, their main headlines have been essentially, “Nuclear war is about to start. All of these countries are updating their nuclear weapons programs and their nuclear responses.”
This was foreseen, Russia, let’s put it that way, had a good idea that this was going to happen, which is why they announced it back in September. They waited [to implement it] until President Biden announced [his plans]. And let’s be honest, President Putin knows President Biden. They’ve met multiple times. Biden’s got two months left on the clock. Putin knows that. Putin knows that, you know, Trump’s about to come in. Putin is going to have a much better time, from his perspective, negotiating with Trump.
You know, this is all just bluster at this point. No one anticipates, no one expects that President Putin is going to start nuclear war over this with President Biden and two months left. There’s nothing whatsoever in it for President Putin to do this. So this is all just bluster, unfortunately. And, you know, people with their own political axes to grind are using it for their advantage, whether it be bludgeoning the other side over the head with their political comments or just to try and stir up support for themselves. So, you know, there’s a lot of sensationalism going on.
Ryan Robertson: Sure, sure. I mean, it’s 2024, right? You can’t get by without some sensationalism, right? You mentioned something about the ATACMS. You know, President Biden has approved ATACMS. Ukraine probably doesn’t have that many long-range ATACMS at this point, but President Biden has a few billion dollars left of congressionally approved money to spend. If Ukraine suddenly got an influx of ATACMS, you know, long-range missiles, would that be enough to change the course of the war over the next couple of months before President Trump takes office?
Matthew Shoemaker: A short answer, in my professional assessment as a former intelligence officer, is no. None of that is in President Biden’s wheelhouse. Over the past three years of this conflict, effectively, he has slow-walked, at every single opportunity, any chance that the Ukrainians had to get an upper hand with regards to the Russians. President Biden has denied them that. The only thing President Biden has actually done is given the Ukrainians enough to stay in the fight.
And that’s essentially what this is more than anything, because—and not to get too far into the weeds and become too much of a tactician with regards to this—as you mentioned, the Ukrainians don’t have enough of these ATACMS. The ATACMS themselves come in multiple variants. No one really knows which variants the Ukrainians have or how many of those variants they have. The two main variants are–one is a main large warhead itself. And that’s used against, usually, clusters of personnel, for example. That tends to have a shorter range because it’s heavier. You need a bigger warhead for it.
The other variant has a lot of smaller munitions in it and kind of just sprays them out over a wide area. That one, from my understanding, has a little bit of a longer range. We don’t know how many the Ukrainians have. We don’t know how many of the variants they have either. That sort of thing.
On top of it, the Americans have been helping the Ukrainians pay for the development of a Ukrainian-made, essentially ATACMS-style weapon that the Ukrainians have been fielding, and they can produce those themselves. So, you know, the Ukrainians have been lobbing these into Russia, and this doesn’t really change any of the tactics on the field. It is all just bluster. It creates a headline. Because in reality, yes, for the Americans to say you can use these weapons against Russian soil is a new development, if you will.
I would say that, unlike most of the reporting, from my understanding, there actually are quite a lot of restrictions still on the use of ATACMS.
Ryan Robertson: Right. The Ukrainians can only use them around Kursk.
Matthew Shoemaker: Exactly. It’s meant to give the Ukrainians some bargaining chip when Trump does come into office, that the Ukrainians own, essentially, Russian territory that they can negotiate to give back to the Russians under a Trump administration. There’s a lot of gamesmanship, a lot of different tactics going on, a lot of chess being played. But for people to just fly off the handle and assume that nuclear war is coming is irresponsible at best and just ludicrous at worst.
Ryan Robertson: Matt Shoemaker, always a pleasure talking to you.
Russia lowers threshold for using nuclear weapons as war with Ukraine escalates
One-thousand days into its war, Russia claimed that Ukraine is already using American made long-range missiles to fire deep into its country. In response, President Vladimir Putin amended Russia’s nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for using such weapons.
“The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression with the use of conventional weapons against it, or the Republic of Belarus, which creates a critical threat to sovereignty or territorial integrity,” a Kremlin spokesman said, according to CNBC.
The Russian defense ministry said Ukraine fired six U.S. made long-range ballistic missiles into the western part of Russia overnight on Tuesday, Nov. 19. The strike came after the Biden administration granted Ukraine permission to begin using U.S. long-range missiles to fire into Russian territory.
Reuters is now reporting Russia began mass production of mobile bomb shelters that can protect against shockwaves and radiation from a nuclear blast. The Emergency Ministry’s Research Institute said the fortified shelters can offer 48 hours of protection from explosions, dangerous chemicals, fires, falling debris and flying shrapnel.
The shelters look like shipping containers and have room for 54 people. They can be moved by truck, connected to water supplies and be deployed throughout vast portions of Russia.
US expanding NATO airbase to host nuclear-capable fighter jets
The United States is expanding Hungary’s Kecskemét Air Base to host nuclear-capable fighter jets. The expansion will enhance NATO’s ability to quickly respond to regional threats, particularly as the conflict in Ukraine continues.
DVIDS
The U.S. Department of Defense is investing in infrastructure upgrades at the air base, allowing it to accommodate advanced fighter jets such as the F-15 Eagle, which can carry nuclear payloads. This move is part of NATO’s strategy to bolster deterrence along its eastern flank.
The expansion comes as Russia criticizes NATO’s increased presence in Eastern Europe, viewing it as a provocation. NATO, however, emphasized that the expanded capabilities are purely defensive and intended to uphold regional stability.
Located in central Hungary, the Kecskemét Air Base is seen as a key strategic location due to its proximity to NATO’s eastern borders. The base could become part of NATO’s nuclear-sharing framework, where non-nuclear countries host nuclear weapons or aircraft capable of carrying them as part of NATO’s broader deterrence strategy.
This expansion follows other NATO initiatives to reinforce defenses in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a focus on European countries close to the conflict zone. Military analysts say these moves aim to send a message to Moscow about the alliance’s readiness to defend its member states.
Russian officials have voiced concerns over NATO’s growing military footprint near its borders. They have framed the expansion of bases such as Kecskemét as increasing the risk of confrontation, though NATO maintains that the changes are defensive in nature.
NATO’s tactical nuclear policy has long been a key part of its deterrence posture, with bases like Kecskemét playing a growing role in military exercises aimed at countering potential Russian threats.
Kim Jong Un: South Korea flying drones to drop propaganda leaflets in the North
North Korea is accusing South Korea of sending drones to drop propaganda leaflets over its capital, Pyongyang. The country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is threatening military action if these flights continue.
On Friday, Oct. 11, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry claimed that drones were spotted over the capital city, distributing “numerous leaflets full of political propaganda” against Kim. The North labeled these intrusions as “a grave political and military provocation” and warned of potential armed conflict. The Kim regime said its military would prepare “all means of attack” if further incursions occurred.
Tensions have been escalating as activists in the South sent balloons filled with anti-Kim leaflets across the border. While no anti-North Korean activist group in South Korea has taken responsibility for the drones, the South Korean military said it could not confirm the North’s claims but advised North Korea “not to act rashly.”
For months, North Korea has taken unusual steps to defy the South. This week, it cut off roads and railways connected to South Korea. The North also installed landmines along the border and sent trash-filled balloons into the South, sometimes disrupting operations at South Korean airports. Such activities near and across the demarcation line, once rare, significantly increased in 2024.
Earthquake in Iran fuels online speculation of nuclear testing
Tensions between Israel and Iran have intensified amid fears that a recent earthquake in Iran was not a natural disaster, but rather the result of a secret underground nuclear test. This online speculation arises as both nations exchange warnings concerning Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Israel views Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat, and over the last two decades, its military has prepared for potential strikes on key facilities like Natanz and Fordow, where uranium is enriched.
However, reports indicate that Israel’s capability to execute such strikes independently, without U.S. assistance, is limited.
While Israeli air drills have simulated these operations, officials question whether they could effectively destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure without specialized American “bunker-busting” bombs.
The Biden administration has urged Israel to refrain from directly targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning of the risks of a full-scale regional war.
In a recent conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Biden emphasized the importance of proportional responses to Iranian missile strikes on Israeli territory, cautioning that any attack on nuclear or energy sites could lead to catastrophic escalation.
Reuters
The situation has been further complicated by online speculation of a potential underground nuclear test in Iran, following a 4.5 magnitude earthquake in Semnan Province near key nuclear facilities.
The earthquake’s shallow depth and location have led to the speculation, although officials are still investigating the incident. Social media has been rife with rumors, but no official confirmation has emerged. Analysts warn that a confirmed nuclear test by Iran would significantly escalate tensions between Iran and Israel.
Bill aims to award Congressional Gold Medals to ‘Miracle on Ice’ team
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, Oct. 8, aims to award U.S. Congressional Gold Medals to the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” USA Hockey Team. The squad defeated the heavily favored Soviet Union team in Lake Placid, New York, in the 1980 Winter Olympics, against the backdrop of the Cold War. The team would eventually go on to win the gold medal against Finland days later.
The bipartisan legislation would create and place the medals at three locations. One would be put on display at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota. Another medal would be showcased at the Lake Placid Olympic Center and a third medal would be at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The push to get the team recognized comes as members of the iconic hockey squad have died in recent years.
The NHL commissioner threw his weight behind the effort, calling the team’s run “perhaps the most memorable and impactful achievement in the history of athletics.”
USA Hockey Executive Director Pat Kelleher also urged fans to get behind the proposal.
Rep. Pete Stauber, R, Minn., introduced the bill, and said that he wants the legislation pass in time for the 45th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice” on Feb. 22, 2025.
North Korea threatens to nuke South Korea if sovereignty challenged
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons if South Korea or its allies attempt to encroach on North Korea’s sovereignty, state media reported Friday, Oct. 4. Kim’s comments followed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s warning that any nuclear aggression from the North would lead to the collapse of Kim’s regime due to a “resolute and overwhelming” response from the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
During South Korea’s Armed Forces Day earlier this week, Yoon showcased the Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, capable of targeting the North, and emphasized the strength of the military alliance with the U.S.
In response, Kim mocked Yoon, calling him “abnormal,” and dismissed South Korea’s conventional weapons as no match for North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. He reiterated that the North would use “all offensive forces, including nuclear weapons,” if provoked.
The exchange of threats comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea continuing its missile tests and South Korea conducting joint military exercises with the U.S. North Korea’s provocative actions include the disclosure of a nuclear facility and ongoing efforts to bolster its military capabilities.
Observers expect that North Korea’s parliament will soon formally declare a two-state system on the Korean Peninsula, rejecting reconciliation with the South and codifying new national borders.
Animosities between the two Koreas have reached their worst point in years, with communication channels frozen since 2019 when U.S.-North Korea diplomacy over the North’s nuclear program collapsed.
North Korea, which has conducted six underground nuclear tests, claims it has sufficient fissile material to build dozens of nuclear weapons.
Since adopting an escalatory nuclear doctrine in 2022, Kim has repeatedly threatened preemptive nuclear strikes. Experts believe it is unlikely he would use them first, as the North’s military remains outmatched by U.S. and South Korean forces.
