This module features teaching notes by Charles D. Ferguson, director of the CFR-sponsored Independent Task Force report, U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy, along with other resources to supplement the text. This report emphasizes that states have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy, contingent on adhering to the highest standards of safety, security, and safeguards, and the responsibility to pursue nuclear disarmament and a treaty on general and complete disarmament.

This module features teaching notes by CFR Senior Fellow Michael A. Levi, author of Deterring State Sponsorship of Nuclear Terrorism, along with other resources to supplement the text. In this Council Special Report, Dr. Levi assesses the state of nuclear security in several vulnerable countries and examines how different deterrent threats would affect the dynamics of cooperation and competition to improve nuclear security.

This module features teaching notes by CFR fellow Charles D. Ferguson, the author of Nuclear Energy, along with other resources to supplement the text.  In the report, Ferguson examines the benefits and limits of nuclear power, arguing that the United States and international partners must find effective ways to address risks if the use of nuclear energy is to be realistically expanded.

Preventing Catastrophic Nuclear Terrorism makes clear what is needed to reduce the possibility of nuclear terrorism. It identifies where efforts have fallen short in securing and eliminating nuclear weapons and weapons-usable nuclear materials, and it offers realistic recommendations to plug these gaps in the U.S. and international response.

The EU's oil embargo is part of a larger Western effort to pressure Iran to reengage over its disputed nuclear program, but some debate the merits of intensified diplomacy with the regime in Tehran.

The latest revelations over Iran's uranium enrichment activities have triggered debate over a slew of policy options from more sanctions to preventive strikes.

Sanctions over Iran's nuclear program have triggered threats involving the strategic Strait of Hormuz and new debate over the methods chosen to pressure Tehran.

A UN report on Iranian efforts to obtain a nuclear device triggers new debate among analysts and policymakers over the appropriate U.S. and international response.

As Washington ratchets up pressure on Tehran in the wake of an alleged terror plot, focus has shifted to finding new levers for halting Iran's controversial nuclear program and casting it as an international pariah.

A growing power struggle in Tehran adds new concerns for deterring Iran's nuclear ambitions. Analysts' recommendations for the U.S. range from engaging in direct talks to increasing pressure on the regime and trying to erode the regime's popular base.

The New START treaty is due for a ratification vote today, clearing the way for future arms reductions talks with Russia along with continuing political battles over arms control.

The startup of the Bushehr nuclear plant is feeding worries about Iran's nuclear agenda and talk about whether sanctions are failing.

Talks in Geneva over Iran's nuclear program ended with Tehran vowing to cooperate with UN inspectors. However, analysts remain divided on how lasting the gains will be.

In Moscow, President Barack Obama will focus on improving U.S.-Russia relations, which suffered during the final years of the Bush administration. But analysts say moving beyond rhetoric toward substantive change could be complicated by history and competing interests.

North Korea has resisted efforts to divulge the full scale of its nuclear program, despite U.S. concessions, but President-elect Barack Obama faces little alternative to the troubled policy of engagement.

CFR.org provides a collection of resources on Iran.

With Pakistan-U.S.  ties strained, Islamabad looks to its regional ally, China, to guarantee longterm strategic stability. Experts say Pakistan also hopes for a nuclear deal with China to balance the U.S.-India nuclear pact now before the U.S. Congress.

The war between Russia and Georgia has complicated Western efforts to pressure Iran over its nuclear program, analysts say.

As tensions between Russia and the West mount over the military conflict in Georgia, some analysts worry about the collapse of arms control agreements.