Sarkozy: France Will Cut Nuclear Arsenal

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today the country will cut its nuclear weapons arsenal to 300, or “half the maximum number we had during the Cold War,” the BBC reports. The move is aimed at cutting costs and modernizing the arsenal; Sarkozy said he is committed to maintaining France’s nuclear “strike force,” calling it the country’s “life-insurance policy.” France is thought to have 348 warheads currently.

The remarks were part of a major defense speech at the inauguration of a new nuclear submarine called "Le Terrible." He noted that “none of our weapons are targeted at anybody,” and he called for other countries to follow his lead in scaling back nuclear stocks. But he expressed suspicions about Iran's nuclear intentions, adding that any attack on his country would meet with a “severe riposte.” (More France stories.)