The UN General Assembly will likely address two "lightning rod" issues: ending the bloodshed in Syria and curbing Iran’s nuclear development, says CFR’s Stewart Patrick.

The conflict in Syria is less about democratic reforms and more about redistributing power along sectarian and ethnic lines--with troubling regional implications, says expert Vali Nasr.

Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran political analyst, says the sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran this week are unlikely to have much of a financial impact on Tehran.  

Ashley J. Tellis, a prominent expert on South Asian security affairs, says President Bush’s effort to mediate the differences between the presidents of Afghanistan and Pakistan is unprecedented and u…

President Obama’s decision to intervene in Libya is hobbled by poor timing and muddled objectives, but charges that the war is illegal are unfounded, says CFR’s James Lindsay.