Economic woes caused by sanctions and mismanagement, coupled with an upcoming political transition, have created new uncertainties in Iran, says expert Farideh Farhi.

Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi discusses Iranian foreign policy in the Middle East.

Micah Zenko says even though telling the United States that it should be more scared of Iran has failed so far, Israeli officials will continue to sound the alarm about a nuclear-armed Tehran, with the ultimate objective of changing America's threat perception.

Iranian minister of foreign affairs Ali Akbar Salehi discusses Iran's nuclear program, sanctions, and the country's relationship with the United States.

Iranian minister of foreign affairs Ali Akbar Salehi discusses Iran's nuclear program, sanctions, and the country's relationship with the United States.

Jeffrey H. Smith and John B. Bellinger III say that because a nuclear-armed Iran is a real threat to the United States, the president does have reason to argue for his constitutional authority to use force against Iran, but legislative approval would give him stronger legal and political ground to do so.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gave these remarks to the UN General Assembly on September 26, 2012.

President Ahmadinejad's final UN General Assembly address lacked the bombast of previous speeches and added little to the debate over Iran's nuclear program, says CFR's Ray Takeyh.

Though Iran might be capable of making a nuclear weapon soon, whether it has decided to is up for debate and calls into question the pressure for immediate military action, says expert David Albright.

Ray Takeyh argues, "The United States will make genuine progress with Iran only when moderate leaders assume greater control of the state. An interim accord may provide time, but that time must be used to broaden the contours of Iran's political system."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave this statement regarding Iran on September 14, 2012.

A nuclear-armed Iran would not make the Middle East more secure, argues Colin Kahl; it would yield more terrorism and pose a risk of a nuclear exchange.

Robert D. Blackwill, CFR's Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy, discusses the issues and contingencies surrounding Iran's nuclear program.

While a nuclear-armed Iran presents "a terrible outcome strategically," a U.S. or Israeli military attack carries unforeseeable risks, says CFR President Richard Haass.

Ray Takeyh argues that, even two decades after his death, the legacy of Aya­tollah Ruhollah Khomeini still permeates policymaking in Iran—and often in ways Western observers are unable to understand.

In an op-ed in the Weekly Standard, Elliott Abrams presents the argument for why President Obama should seek an Authorization for the Use of Military Force from Congress to be used against Iran.

The People's Mujahedin of Iran, or MEK, is a militant Iranian opposition group and a recognized terrorist organization, according to the U.S. State Department. This Backgrounder examines the group's history and the politics surrounding its relocation from Iraq.

Meghan L. O'Sullivan says sanctions may help, but economic pain can't be the sole pressure point on 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.

Inside the petro-fueled naval military buildup you've never heard of: It's Russia versus Iran, with three post-Soviet states -- and trillions of dollars in oil -- in the middle.