The White House should seize on Tehran's diplomatic signals to advance a resolution to the nuclear question and potentially Syria, says expert Mohsen M. Milani.

The unexpected convergence of the United States and Russia over Syria's chemical weapons is likely to be strained by delays in the disarmament process, says expert Nicolas Gvosdev.

New Iranian leadership and the UN effort to remove Syrian chemical weapons offer a rare chance for collaboration between Washington and Tehran—and advance nuclear talks, says expert Gary Sick.

Russia is more concerned with guarding its strategic interests in Syria than sustaining the rule of Assad, who eventually may overburden the Kremlin, says expert Michael Young.

The United States should cripple the Syrian government's ability to kill masses of its own people and openly intensify its support to opposition forces, says expert Frederic C. Hof.

The search for evidence of chemical weapons in Syria is painstaking and hampered by harsh conditions, but could yield decisive findings as debate over military action intensifies, says expert Amy E. Smithson.

The unusual trial of Bo Xilai and China's crackdown on both corruption and press freedom reveal a confused and conflicted leadership, says CFR's Jerome Cohen.

Growing splits between Islamists and secularists in Egypt augur a sustained period of confrontation and unrest, says expert Jon B. Alterman.

North and South Korea seem likely to reopen the Kaesong industrial complex, despite the economic risks Seoul assumes in dealing with Pyongyang, says expert Marcus Noland.

President Obama's cancelled state visit to Moscow next month is another indication that the so-called U.S.-Russia reset has derailed, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

Can Washington and Islamabad build a new strategic relationship? CFR's Daniel Markey says John Kerry and Nawaz Sharif are off to a friendly start, but big obstacles remain on counterterror cooperation.

A clear sign of a new Iranian nuclear posture will be if incoming president Hassan Rowhani pursues bilateral talks with the United States, says former top U.S. arms official Gary Samore.

The United States must formulate a coherent and comprehensive strategic policy toward the Middle East, rather than just react to events, says expert Edward P. Djerejian.

The Taliban believes it will have the upper hand in potential negotiations with the Afghan government and its partner in Washington, but it remains unclear what the insurgent group's goals are in any settlement, says expert Amin Tarzi.

Syria, arms control, and economic ties are likely to be the focus of the Putin-Obama meeting in Northern Ireland, where both sides are hoping to set a new tone for the relationship, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

A conservative candidate seems likely to win Iran's presidential election this week, but the reform movement may yet be energized by the remaining moderate contender, says CFR's Ray Takeyh.

The inauguration of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is a heartening milestone for Pakistan and an opportunity for Washington to restore relations with Islamabad, says expert Bruce Riedel.

Given Iran and Russia's strong support of the Syrian government, there are indications that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad may be prevailing in the country's civil war, says expert Michael Young.

After the disqualification of popular former president Rafsanjani, it's unclear which of the remaining, mostly conservative candidates will triumph in the June presidential election, says expert Farideh Farhi.

The League of Nations was championed by President Woodrow Wilson in a fourteen-point speech to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1918, and formally began its operations in January 1920. However, the League failed to win Senate approval and is forever remembered as a major example of a communications breakdown between the president and the Senate.

Read full answer