Fred Kaplan urges the United States to work with Iranian president Rouhani in light of his speeches at the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivered these remarks at the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2013.

Ray Takeyh analyzses a recent op-ed in Iran's newspaper Bahar and President Rouhani's leadership team and implications for country's nuclear program.

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.

The implementation of the U.S.-Russia agreement to disarm Syria of its chemical weapons will face challenges, and the deal could "easily unravel" as a result of the ongoing civil war, says CFR's Paul B. Stares.

The issue of gun control is far from limited to the domestic politics of the United States: transnational gun trafficking makes armed violence a continental problem. The United States and Brazil, home to the largest arms industries in the Hemisphere, should partner to safeguard weapons stocks and staunch the flow of illegal weapons to illicit groups writes Julia Sweig.

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.

Frank Klotz examines the history of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent and the British government's new analysis of alternatives to the proposed replacement submarines.

The United States tried to convince Israel to join the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) when the treaty was first introduced and before it was widely believed that Israel had nuclear weapons. The NPT's objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology and further the goal of universal disarmament.

Read full answer

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are five nuclear-weapon states that have signed the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). As the P5, they meet regularly to work toward nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation.

Some argue that the best way to restrain North Korea is to strengthen sanctions, principally by putting more pressure on China to reduce its trade with North Korea. Others advocate a diplomatic approach and argue that engagement, not escalation, would be more effective. What all parties need to remember is that actions speak louder than words.

Read full answer

Ray Takeyh warns that the West is falling into a diplomacy trap set by Iranian clerics regarding the nuclear Non-Prolifieration Treaty (NPT).

Since the discovery of illicit Iranian nuclear facilities in 2002, the United States has sought to mobilize an international coalition to address the Iranian nuclear challenge through various coercions and incentives. UN member states agree that Iran is entitled to a civilian nuclear program for purposes of energy generation, but they require assurances that such a program is not going to be misused for military purposes.

Read full answer

Ray Takeyh calls for "a more imaginative re-conceptualization of the existing diplomatic paradigm," between the United States and Iran.

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano gave these remarks to the Board of Governor on March 4, 2013, to open IAEA's first meeting of 2013. As mentioned in the press release and Amano's remarks, the meeting will discuss the Fukushima nuclear accident, nuclear safety, nuclear energy, and safeguards in North Korea and Iran.

World powers are now offering to ease sanctions on Iran if it agrees to halt its most sensitive nuclear activity. Expert Daryl Kimball urges a full diplomatic press to stop Iran from crossing the nuclear weapons line.

In the nuclear dispute between Iran and the United States, a grand bargain is unlikely given the level of mistrust between the two parties. What's more realistic is a modest compromise that breaches the wall of mistrust and potentially sets the stage for further-reaching arms control measures, says Ray Takeyh.

Considering a report from CFR and the Program on International Policy Attitudes, Stewart Patrick discusses why the majority of Americans will not accept a nuclear Iran.

This week's latest round of Iran talks seems to have done little to reconcile the two sides on the country's nuclear position, says CFR's Michael A. Levi.