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Joe Cirincione

@joecirin.bsky.social

I've been working on national security in Washington for over 40 years. Government, think tanks and philanthropy. Now retired, I still write, lecture and do media interviews. And I'm still learning. On Substack at: joecirincione.substack.com

4,949 Followers  |  206 Following  |  1,262 Posts  |  Joined: 18.11.2024
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Posts by Joe Cirincione (@joecirin.bsky.social)

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Iran can still build nuclear weapons without further enrichment. Only diplomacy will stop it Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched at 60 percent would be enough to make several relatively unsophisticated nuclear weapons. So why does nobody talk about it?

The most effective way to ensure that the HEU has not been diverted for weapons use is through a diplomatic agreement in which Israel & the US would forswear further attacks, and Iran would provide all the information and access to fully account for the stockpile.
thebulletin.org/2025/07/iran...

09.03.2026 01:20 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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If only there had been some way to get rid of Iran’s stockpile of uranium peacefully, without going to war. Oh, wait….

09.03.2026 01:13 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Last year Trump slashed funds for healthcare & food programs. Now he's spending $1 BILLION PER DAY on his war of choice in Iran.

While millions here at home can't afford their basic needs, Trump is spending billions on a regime change war that's making us less safe.

08.03.2026 21:42 β€” πŸ‘ 1388    πŸ” 566    πŸ’¬ 65    πŸ“Œ 14
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🚨 Japan’s Nikkei stock index plunges more than 6%

09.03.2026 00:32 β€” πŸ‘ 1171    πŸ” 363    πŸ’¬ 81    πŸ“Œ 52

Groan. But Joseph has a point. Bananas have a tiny amount of the slightly radioactive isotope, Potassium-40.

09.03.2026 00:38 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Schumer and Jeffries are waffling on this core issue: Should Democratic leaders fund an unauthorized, unconstitutional, immoral war that American overwhelmingly oppose? We all must let our representatives know that we want them to stop this war.

09.03.2026 00:26 β€” πŸ‘ 65    πŸ” 18    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 1
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AI error or not, Iran school bombing is a permanent stain on America’s soul | Will Bunch A debate on AI in warfare obscures the truth about an Iran school bombing. U.S. humans are to blame for this war crime.

They had names. They had beautiful faces. And they had the same dreams as your kids - crushed when American "precision" bombs slammed into their Minab elementary school, killing 175

Don't blame AI for this. Blame the sick humans who see war as a game

My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/iran...

08.03.2026 18:37 β€” πŸ‘ 5044    πŸ” 1792    πŸ’¬ 117    πŸ“Œ 78

Trump actually chose a team of cabinet members that are dumber than he is.

09.03.2026 00:18 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Ha! Too late for me.

09.03.2026 00:17 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I keep hearing people warn that Iran could use its 60% enriched uranium for a dirty bomb. No. HEU is a poor choice for such a device. It has relatively low radioactivity. You would use a more radioactive by-product of fission, such as isotopes of Cesium, Cobalt, Americium or Strontium. Google it.

08.03.2026 23:36 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2

Israel has killed 100,000 in Gaza and is killing villagers nearly every day in the West Bank. Does that give another country the right to invade Israel? Of course not. We outlawed such behavior in the 1945 UN Charter. We cannot accept that the US and Israel are exceptional. This courts disaster.

08.03.2026 23:21 β€” πŸ‘ 19    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Holy shit. Crude oil futures going nuts tonight.

08.03.2026 22:14 β€” πŸ‘ 5922    πŸ” 1905    πŸ’¬ 673    πŸ“Œ 274
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Dow futures tumble 900 points as U.S. oil tops $100 a barrel to begin the week's trading β€” CNBC The Dow recorded its worst week since President Trump unveiled his tariff policy in April.

stocks.apple.com/AKxu3oCPARGm...

08.03.2026 22:49 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Trump and Bibi are wrecking the world’s economies. We are in global recession territory.

Does Trump quit now and look like a loser? Or continue the war and sink his entire economic agenda?

08.03.2026 22:45 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 1
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The War Supporters' Script We may not be able to convince them, but at least we can be prepared for their arguments.

We may not be able to convince the supporters of the US-Israel war on Iran, but at least we can understand their sales script. open.substack.com/pub/joecirin...

08.03.2026 22:32 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The War Supporters' Script We may not be able to convince them, but at least we can be prepared for their arguments.

We may not be able to convince the supporters of the US-Israel war on Iran, but at least we can understand their sales script. open.substack.com/pub/joecirin...

08.03.2026 22:24 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Israeli Settlers Kill 3 Palestinians in a Weekend of West Bank Violence

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/w...

08.03.2026 20:31 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Iran fires fewer rockets, but economic toll in Israel rivals the June war Air Force Sortie Rate Three Times Higher in First Four Days Than in June War, While Sparse Iranian Fire Still Triggers Nationwide Alerts and Economic Disruption

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

08.03.2026 04:43 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Has the Marvel Universe called the White House yet to re-claim their name?

08.03.2026 00:25 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This is exactly right. There will be Members who won’t want to be seen as refusing to fund the troops while combat rages. Or are afraid of looking weak on defense. But the principles are clear: No funds for an unauthorized war. No funds for an unnecessary war.

07.03.2026 19:26 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Welcome Jon B. Wolfsthal as Fellow for U.S. Nuclear Policy - PAX sapiens

I am thrilled to announce that I've joined @paxsapiens.bsky.social as the inaugural US Nuclear Policy Fellow. Pax is doing critical work, and the need for practical steps to reduce the risk of nuclear use is more urgent than it has been for many decades. paxsapiens.org/newsroom/wel...

06.03.2026 14:06 β€” πŸ‘ 22    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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When the news is as head-spinning as it was this week, these experienced reporters can slow it down and provide the insights and analysis to help us understand just what the hell is happening. New Pod today.
bit.ly/Click-2-Listen
YouTu.be/NvTR3eqpy6k

06.03.2026 16:44 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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So Iran now has, perhaps for the first time, information about the location of our most sensitive covert sites in the region.

A completely foreseeable, unnecessary consequence of unnecessary war with Iran.

06.03.2026 21:45 β€” πŸ‘ 3565    πŸ” 1435    πŸ’¬ 309    πŸ“Œ 100

Of course, there is that awkward issue of Israel annexing southern Lebanon.

06.03.2026 21:39 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

I hear you.

06.03.2026 21:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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This mass killing of children is unconscionable. It bears the hallmarks of a war crime.

Trump & Hegseth must answer for the US's role & they must be held accountable. People deserve the full truth. There must be an immediate & transparent investigation.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/w...

06.03.2026 20:14 β€” πŸ‘ 440    πŸ” 135    πŸ’¬ 22    πŸ“Œ 5

Peel back the bravado and displays of male dominance and you see a rotting regime creating global chaos.

06.03.2026 20:06 β€” πŸ‘ 95    πŸ” 30    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3
Preparing for the Horrific Unintended Consequences of the Iran War
YouTube video by The DSR Network Preparing for the Horrific Unintended Consequences of the Iran War

What happens next in Trump’s war of choice? How bad could it get? Watch my answer to @djrothkopf.bsky.social, then stay for smarter answers from @jonatomic.bsky.social and @edwardluce.bsky.social . Spoiler: Nothing good is coming out of this war. youtu.be/9vt_-eA2JgI?...

06.03.2026 19:27 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 21    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 3
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The Ultimate Trump Card I take no pleasure in writing this, and you should take none in reading it

Think it’s bad now? It could get much worse. open.substack.com/pub/thinking...

06.03.2026 18:27 β€” πŸ‘ 36    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3
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The Day Israel Lost America Excerpted from NEW YORK magazine

open.substack.com/pub/rosenber...

06.03.2026 18:11 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0