From the expiration of the New START Treaty to the war with Iran, headlines about nuclear risks are consistently in the news at the moment.

How significant is the expiration of the New START Treaty? How have nuclear risks changed since the war with Iran began? What are the major nuclear threats facing the world at the moment?

Dr Daniel Salisbury joined the USSC Briefing Room to discuss these issues. Daniel is Senior Fellow for Nuclear Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the author of Secrecy, Public Relations and the British Nuclear Debate: How the UK Government Learned to Talk about the Bomb, 1970-1983.

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Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

In this episode USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on Friday, 6 March 2026 to discuss the latest on the war with Iran.

What led the United States to attack Iran now? How does this compare to the Iraq War and actions of prior administrations? How are US allies responding?

Mike draws on his experience in the White House during the Iraq War and Jared addresses broader Middle East dynamics to unpack this issue and what it means for US allies and partners.

The Trump administration recently completed its AUKUS review, including a directive from President Trump to proceed “full steam ahead” on AUKUS Pillar I. But even after securing the Trump stamp of approval, there has been comparatively little information on how the review handled Pillar II and experts have raised concerns about the growing scope of advanced capabilities it now includes.

Is AUKUS Pillar II fit for purpose? Which advanced capabilities can deliver the best return on investment in the near term? Is AUKUS Pillar II a “solution in need of a problem”?

USSC Non-Resident Fellow Sophie Mayo and USSC Research Fellow Tom Corben joined USSC Director of Impact and Engagement Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions.

Both experts have recently published on AUKUS Pillar II:

• Impact and effort: A menu of AI and autonomy options for AUKUS Pillar II – Sophie Mayo
• AUKUS Pillar II under pressure – Tom Corben

Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

Produced by: Elliott Brennan

Music by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat