This is the DEFCON Warning System. Alert status for 2 P.M., Sunday, May 2nd, 2021. Condition code is Green. DEFCON 5.

There are currently no imminent nuclear threats at this time.

Tensions in the Ukraine theatre have dropped as Russia has pulled back a number of its troops from the Ukraine border, forestalling any concern of a potential invasion. However, the equipment is still there and there are reports of more being delivered. Russia says there will be another exercise in the region later this year.

China currently controls eighty percent of all U.S. rare earth supplies, these materials critical for components in high technology devices.

In the East Asian theatre, the United States is to send more ships to the South China Sea, while China continues to send more and more warcraft into Taiwan airspace. China has had progress on its largest aircraft carrier, likely able to launch heavier jets than its U.S. counterpart due to improved launching and recovering configurations including electromagnetic launch catapults.

China has deployed an advanced long-range rocket launcher to the Himalayas on the border with India, while China has expanded its naval base in Djibouti, near the Red Sea, now large enough to support an aircraft carrier.

Japan is to host its first large-scale joint ‘war games’ with US, France as France and Japan express concerns over China aggression in South China Sea.

Iran has rejected talks with the United States over its nuclear programme in Vienna. Meanwhile, Iran’s Natanz underground facility comes under attack, crippling the unit. Iran says it will begin enriching uranium to 60 percent purity, moving it significantly closer to weapons-grade enrichment. The IAEA reports that Iran has installed extra advanced centrifuges at its underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz and plans to add even more. Israel estimates Iran has missiles that can travel 5000 km and carry a 1 tonne warhead.

In a significant move, the United States no longer requires Iran to comply with the nuclear deal before the U.S. will re-join the deal, but that only Iran “intends” to comply. Meanwhile, Sweden reports says that Iran is seeking Swedish technology which can be used in its nuclear weapons programs.

The United States sends warships into Black Sea amid crisis in Ukraine, then turns around and cancels deployment. Russia claims a successful test of new high-speed anti-ballistic missile.

Japan is to release radioactive Fukushima water into the sea. The water will be diluted to one-seventh of the World Health Organisation’s guideline for drinking water.

The U.S. Strategic Command reports that the United States is quickly falling behind both China and Russia in fielding modern, next generation nuclear weapons.

Moving to Korea, the United States now believes there is close to no chance North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons and is now working on halting weapons proliferation and checking North Korea’s development of new delivery systems.

The DEFCON Warning System is a private intelligence organization which has monitored and assessed nuclear threats by national entities since 1984. It is not affiliated with any government agency and does not represent the alert status of any military branch. The public should make their own evaluations and not rely on the DEFCON Warning System for any strategic planning. At all times, citizens are urged to learn what steps to take in the event of a nuclear attack. If this had been an actual attack, the DEFCON Warning System will give radiation readings for areas that are reported to it. Your readings will vary. Official news sources will have radiation readings for your area.

For immediate updates, go to www.defconwarningsystem.com. Breaking news and important information can be found on the DEFCON Warning System community forum and on the DEFCON Twitter feed @DEFCONWSAlerts. You may also subscribe to the DEFCON Warning System mailing list. Note that Twitter updates may be subject to delays. The next scheduled update is 2 P.M. Pacific Time, June 1st, 2021. Additional updates will be made as the situation warrants, with more frequent updates at higher alert levels.

This concludes this broadcast of the DEFCON Warning System.