The new agreement between Iran does not resolve the problem and complicates U.S. relations with regional allies, says CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Governments’ refusals to entertain the possibility of dialogue with groups such as al-Qaeda and the self-proclaimed Islamic State causes needless deaths, says expert Jonathan Powell.

Julia E. Sweig, CFR’s director of Latin American studies, says ties between Washington and Havana may change, but the United States has been downplaying expectations of a breakthrough.  

Shanghai’s new free trade zone promises to be a testing ground for China’s economic reform, but its innovations should be assessed over time, explains expert Daniel Rosen.

Hurricane Katrina caused severe damage to U.S.refinery and production capacity in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil prices briefly spiked to above $70 per barrel before dropping after President Bush decided to…