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Nuclear Disarmament

Ballistic Missiles
commentary
A Surgical Strike Against North Korea? Not a Viable Option
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Jul 14, 2017
Fox News Channel
North Korea's July 4 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit American soil has renewed talk of military intervention. But an effective limited military strike with minimal collateral damage and no escalation simply won't work.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Sticking with the Complicated U.S.-Iran Relationship
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Mar 2, 2017
The Cipher Brief
The United States and Iran differ on many issues, but they signed what has so far been a successful nuclear agreement and both seek to defeat the Islamic State. The U.S. would have more to gain by sticking with the relationship than by pursuing a policy of “regime change.”
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Protect Nuclear Nonproliferation Norms
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Oct 9, 2016
U.S. News & World Report
Strong and viable global nuclear nonproliferation norms should remain a cornerstone of U.S. security now and into the future. Friends and allies must continue to have confidence in the U.S. strategic nuclear guarantees.
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Iran
commentary
Whoever Wins the Presidency, the Next Big International Crisis Will Come from Iran
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Sep 29, 2016
Fox News Channel
The next U.S. president is likely to meet many international crises after taking office, and Iran may be one of the most challenging. The continuing climate of repression, the next Iranian presidential election, and Khamenei's eventual demise may provide some important opportunities for him or her.
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Nuclear Weapons and Warfare
commentary
Finding a Nuclear Weapon: Hope Beyond the Screwdriver
Edward Jay Cazalas
Sep 21, 2016
The National Interest
Science and technology is only partly at the point of reliably detecting a nuclear weapon in cities — for some weapons and some adversaries. The solutions for this problem are only partial and are complicated by the nuances of the science.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
The End of Nuclear Proliferation?
Todd C. Robinson
Jul 26, 2016
The National Interest
As the last case of nuclear proliferation fades further into history, it may become politically difficult to allocate resources to preventing it, as other pressing threats, such as bio- and cyber-terrorism, continue to emerge.
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Iran
blog
Impact of Iran Nuclear Deal Discussed at RAND Event
Apr 1, 2016
As part of the ongoing Conversations at RAND request, Alireza Nader, senior international policy analyst at RAND Corporation, spoke to Dan Simpson about the future of Iran, at RAND's Pittsburgh office on March 30.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Iran, Terrorism, and Nonproliferation After the Nuclear Deal
Radha Iyengar @RadhaKIyengar, Rebecca Friedman Lissner
Jan 28, 2016
War on the Rocks
As Iran re-enters global markets, the Obama administration needs a strategy that accounts for the nuclear deal's potentially adverse implications for U.S. counterterrorism policy as well as its advantages for nonproliferation policy.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Iran Nuclear Deal Is Working, but Challenges Persist
Larry Hanauer @LarryHanauer
Jan 19, 2016
The Hill
The nuclear agreement with Iran wisely made sanctions relief contingent on Iran's first having verifiably undertaken steps to dismantle its nuclear program. It has completed these tasks, and it is now the United States' turn to implement its obligations under the deal.
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Politics and Government
commentary
Congress Should Monitor Iran Deal, Not Keep Trying to Kill It
Larry Hanauer @LarryHanauer
Sep 12, 2015
The Hill
If Iranian compliance with the nuclear accord is Congress's goal, then legislators should focus on ensuring that the deal is effectively implemented.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
The Only Iran Deal Alternative Worth Considering
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Aug 30, 2015
The National Interest
Now is the time for Washington to prove its leadership and implement the Iran nuclear deal. The alternative is a major diplomatic defeat for America and an unrestricted Iranian nuclear program.
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Iran
commentary
A Better Deal for Iran
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Aug 24, 2015
The Hill
It is critical for lawmakers to understand there will be serious consequences for rejecting the Iran deal. And those consequences look a lot worse for the United States and its partners than for Iran.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Out of the Mushroom Cloud's Shadow
Jonathan Reid Hunt
Aug 6, 2015
Foreign Policy
With Japan's nuclear restraint no longer the article of faith it once was, the significance of the nuclear pacts struck decades ago will become ever more consequential.
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Iran
commentary
Post Deal, Can Rouhani Deliver on Promises of Reform?
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Jul 24, 2015
Al-Monitor
Rouhani was elected president because he offered hope; he claimed that the nuclear agreement would be the key to unlock or solve Iran's problems. But it will take more than that to make Iran a better place to live. Can he achieve his people's dreams? Is he even willing?
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Peace in the Middle East: America's New Post-Iran Deal Challenge
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye, Jeffrey Martini
Jul 20, 2015
The National Interest
It is no surprise that the final Iran nuclear deal was met with opposition in Israel and Saudi Arabia. For all the talk about whether or not this is a good deal, negotiating with Iran was the original sin from their perspective.
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Iran
commentary
Iran Deal Not a Panacea, but a Pragmatic Necessity
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Jul 15, 2015
USA Today
The nuclear agreement signed between Iran and the P5+1 prevents Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability in the near future while giving some space for Iranian proponents of change.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Here's What Will Happen If the Iran Deal Falls Through
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Jul 7, 2015
Foreign Affairs
Even a strong nonproliferation agreement that prevents all pathways toward the Iranian bomb won't magically transform the Middle East. But on balance, the region would be better off with a good nuclear deal than without one.
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Iran
commentary
Why the United States Needs to Be Patient with Iran
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Apr 20, 2015
The National Interest
No one should expect miracles after a nuclear deal. Khamenei and his system will not change so easily. But Iranians have been patient. The United States should be as well.
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Iran
commentary
Don't Call It a Shakeup: Why the Nuclear Deal Won't Change U.S. Regional Politics
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Apr 10, 2015
Foreign Affairs
The United States can't wait for a final nuclear deal with Iran to begin thinking through how to manage its aftermath. The challenges ahead are already clear. Washington should prepare for them by setting aside old formulas that have failed to advance stability.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Congress Should Delay New Iran Sanctions
Larry Hanauer @LarryHanauer
Jan 23, 2015
The Hill
The new Congress is racing to pass legislation that would institute new sanctions on Iran during ongoing nuclear negotiations. This undermines U.S. efforts to peacefully eliminate the threat of an Iranian nuclear weapon.
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Iran
commentary
Why Iran Can't Walk Away from Nuclear Talks So Easily
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Sep 26, 2014
The National Interest
If the public inflexibility of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif isn't mere diplomatic posturing, they would be gambling not only with their own political futures, but the futures of 80 million Iranians as well.
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Iran
commentary
Nuclear Deal or No Deal, Don't Expect Iran Changes
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Sep 8, 2014
CNN
The impeachment of Iranian science minister Reza Faraji-Dana, the latest episode in the struggle between Iran's so-called moderates and hard-liners, is likely a sign of troubling times ahead. And even though President Hassan Rouhani is the West's best hope of the nuclear issue being addressed, a deal could energize his rivals in their bid to stave off change.
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United States
blog
A Summer Reading List for Congress
Jul 31, 2014
No matter how policymakers spend their break—meeting with home-state constituents, traveling abroad with congressional delegations, or spending time with family—this summer reading list contains policy ideas that can help them hit the ground running when they return.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Gaza and the Nuclear Negotiations
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Jul 28, 2014
Foreign Affairs
Whether a deal materializes that meets Iranian demands for a civilian nuclear program, but is limited enough to satisfy the United States and its partners remains to be seen. But the longer the Gaza conflict continues, the harder it'll be to insulate the negotiations from broader regional trends, which doesn't bode well for a successful outcome.
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Iran
commentary
The Fallacy of Iranian Leverage
Dalia Dassa Kaye @dassakaye
Jun 27, 2014
Foreign Affairs
Rather than helping Iran in the nuclear negotiations, Iran's battle against the ISIS could actually hurt it. The broader strategic dynamics were already working against Iran, and the situation in Iraq has only made that more true.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Will Iran's Opposition Leaders Be Released?
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Aug 2, 2013
Inter Press Service
The resolution of Iran's nuclear crisis does not only depend on U.S.-Iranian relations, but also on other factors including the fate of three Iranian prisoners.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Before Piling on New Sanctions, Give Rouhani a Chance
Colin H. Kahl, Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Jun 27, 2013
Al-Monitor
The imposition of sanction after sanction without a clear diplomatic approach may convince Iran's leadership that the United States seeks regime implosion and overthrow rather than a solution to the nuclear crisis, write Alireza Nader and Colin H. Kahl.
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Chemical Weapons and Warfare
commentary
The Syrian Chemical Weapons Conundrum
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
May 1, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Dealing with chemical weapons in Syria is a complicated and dangerous task, but nowhere near the challenge of securing a nuclear arsenal in a country consumed by crisis, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
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Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
A Delicate Deterrence Dance with North Korea
Andrew Scobell
Apr 11, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
How does Washington signal tenacity to a pugnacious Pyongyang and demonstrate resolve to a jittery Seoul, all without inadvertently triggering an escalatory spiral?
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Democracy
commentary
Iran's Elections to End All Elections
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Mar 7, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
The June election will not be about mobilizing the Iranian public. It is instead the culmination of a years-long evolution in Iranian politics: the transformation of the Islamic Republic from a mildly representative theocracy into a Revolutionary Guards-controlled kleptocracy, writes Alireza Nader.
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North Korea
commentary
North Korea's Third Nuclear Test: A Sign of Weakness, Not Strength
Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett
Feb 15, 2013
The RAND Blog
The ROK and the United States should take actions to deter subsequent North Korean provocations while punishing the country for its nuclear weapon test. Such actions could convince it that the ROK/U.S. are serious and able to impose high costs, writes Bruce Bennett.
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Russia
commentary
The Challenge of Securing Russian Cooperation in Achieving Further Nuclear Reductions
Lowell H. Schwartz
Feb 13, 2013
The RAND Blog
Unless the Obama administration can design a strategy that can engage the Russians despite their preconceptions, which have been consistently stated in diplomatic encounters over the past two years, Russia is unlikely to agree to an informal agreement on further reductions, writes Lowell Schwartz.
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Iran
commentary
Khamenei's Mounting Pressures
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Feb 11, 2013
The Woodrow Wilson Center
Khamenei's mounting pressures may compel him to be more flexible on the nuclear program, writes Alireza Nader. Otherwise, he will face greater sanctions, more internal political opposition, and, possibly, the wrath of his own people.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
What Is Iran's Strategy at New Talks?
Alireza Nader @AlirezaNader
Feb 5, 2013
United States Institute of Peace's Iran Primer
Iran is still willing to give diplomacy a chance after a seven-month hiatus, as demonstrated by the announcement of new talks. But Tehran wants the P5+1 to make the first move, writes Alireza Nader.
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Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
Dissuading Iran from the Bomb and Avoiding War
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Dec 2, 2011
Public Service Europe
By refusing to face more squarely the probability that Iran will eventually acquire a nuclear weapons capability, the American and Israeli governments actually reduce their ability to dissuade Iran from crossing that threshold, writes James Dobbins.
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Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
An Attack Would Only Strengthen Iran's Influence
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Nov 16, 2011
U.S. News & World Report, Debate Club
Reaction to a strike against Iran among neighboring populations would be almost uniformly hostile. The sympathy thereby aroused for Iran would make containment of Iranian influence much more difficult for Israel, for the U.S., and for the Arab regimes currently allied with Washington, writes James Dobbins.
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commentary
The Multilateral Path To Disarming North Korea
Charles Wolf, Jr.
Feb 16, 2005
Asian Wall Street Journal
Published commentary by RAND staff.
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commentary
A Thaw Between Giants
Rollie Lal
Aug 3, 2003
The Baltimore Sun
commentaries by RAND Staff: insightful commentaries on current events, published in newspapers, magazines and journals worldwide.
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commentary
Don't Open the Door to Russia Yet
Robert E. Hunter
Nov 13, 2001
Los Angeles Times
Putin may prove sincere about wanting to realign Russia with the West. It may be that changes since the end of the Cold War and Sept. 11 argue for new Continent-wide security arrangements. But these must be grounded in common interest and common practice.
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