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Arms Proliferation and Control

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The U.S.-Soviet nuclear arms race ended in détente, but nuclear development efforts and WMD proliferation in India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Iran have caused geopolitical instability since the Cold War's end. RAND has applied strategic analysis to nuclear confrontation scenarios and international deterrence efforts since its earliest work on game theory, with particular focus on the roles of both diplomacy and missile defense systems in global as well as regional security.

Report
How Does North Korea Evade Sanctions?
The United Nations has imposed increasingly restrictive sanctions on North Korea after each of the six nuclear weapons tests that it conducted between 2009 and 2016. Enforcement has been mixed, and North Korea has become adept at several techniques to evade sanctions.
Sep 23, 2021
Content
Where Russia Markets and Sells Advanced Conventional Weapons
Russia uses arms exports to further relations with other countries, influence their political and military leaders, and further its broader foreign and defense policy goals. A series of maps show the extent of its marketing, negotiating, and sales of key weapons systems.
Jun 11, 2021

Explore Arms Proliferation and Control

Commentary
Out of the Mushroom Cloud's Shadow
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.
Aug 6, 2015
Commentary
Post Deal, Can Rouhani Deliver on Promises of Reform?
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?
Jul 24, 2015
Commentary
Iran Deal or No Deal
A U.S. rejection of the Iran nuclear agreement would send the wrong message, not only to Iran but also to America's closest allies, and it would not serve American interests in the region.
Jul 22, 2015
Commentary
Peace in the Middle East: America's New Post-Iran Deal Challenge
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.
Jul 20, 2015
Commentary
We Face a New, Dangerous Age of Nuclear Weapons Rivalry
Escalating competition among major powers is amplifying the role of nuclear weapons in defense policies, including more easily used — and thus especially dangerous — tactical nuclear forces. Before it becomes too late, the U.S. should design and lead a new campaign to control nuclear risk.
Jul 16, 2015
Commentary
Iran Deal Not a Panacea, but a Pragmatic Necessity
The nuclear agreement is not perfect and certainly does not attain the ideals of either side. But it prevents Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability in the near future while giving some space for Iranian proponents of change.
Jul 15, 2015
Commentary
Here's What Will Happen If the Iran Deal Falls Through
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.
Jul 7, 2015
Report
A Surprise Out of Zion? Case Studies in Israel's Decisions on Whether to Alert the United States to Preemptive and Preventive Strikes, from Suez to the Syrian Nuclear Reactor
Examines four key historical cases in which Israeli prime ministers chose preemptive or preventive military strikes and had to decide whether to notify or consult with the United States.
Jun 29, 2015
Commentary
What Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Want from Each Other
Whatever overlapping interests they may have in dangerous groups like Lashkar-e Taiba, the Saudis and Pakistanis have much bigger reasons for seeking each other's friendship. These reasons may be largely transactional, but the transaction has been a mutually beneficial one for nearly 40 years.
Jun 17, 2015
Periodical
RAND Review: May-June 2015
This issue of RAND Review reports on smart-grid technologies, the nuclear deal with Iran, the education crisis among Syrian children, diversity in the biomedical scientific workforce, and recent philanthropic gifts to RAND.
May 4, 2015
Essay
Nuclear Negotiations with Iran: Looking Ahead
As world leaders work to piece together a nuclear deal with Iran, RAND experts asked, What would change on the day after a final deal? Their analysis helps clarify what a nuclear deal would mean for the United States, the region, and the world.
May 4, 2015
Commentary
Why the United States Needs to Be Patient with Iran
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.
Apr 20, 2015
Commentary
To Know the Future of Biological Weapons, Look to the Past
A panel chaired by former Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Gov. Tom Ridge will review U.S. policy on biodefense. Looking back to the end of the U.S. offensive biological warfare program would provide valuable lessons.
Apr 10, 2015
Commentary
Why the Nuclear Deal Won't Change U.S. Regional Politics
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.
Apr 10, 2015
Q&A
RAND Experts Q&A on the Iran Nuclear Framework
President Barack Obama hailed last week's framework for an Iranian nuclear accord as a “historic understanding,” and there was celebration in Iran, but many challenges remain.
Apr 6, 2015
Commentary
Don't Scare Off Investors from Iran
Non-American corporations must decide whether the benefits of pursuing business opportunities in Iran outweigh the risks, and they will likely stay away as long as Congress keeps debating the imposition of new sanctions. Their reluctance to invest could prevent Iran from seeing the economic benefits of a nuclear deal.
Mar 27, 2015
Multimedia
Call with the Experts: Update on Iran Nuclear Negotiations
In this excerpt from an exclusive RAND Policy Circle Call, RAND experts discuss the latest developments in a nuclear deal with Iran.
Mar 26, 2015
Commentary
Grounds for Cautious Optimism on an Iran Nuclear Deal
Sufficient information is available to be optimistic about the characteristics of the framework accord anticipated by the end of this month. Many Americans might be surprised to learn what has already been accomplished under the interim agreement that laid the groundwork for the comprehensive deal now being negotiated.
Mar 26, 2015
Commentary
Don't Worry About Russia Backing Away from Space and WMD Cooperation
Two symbols of U.S.-Russian cooperation are nearing the end of their life expectancies, the International Space Station and the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. But both stand as remarkable milestones of achievement and reminders of what can be accomplished when nations put aside political differences for the betterment of humanity.
Feb 27, 2015
Commentary
Armed Drone Myth 3: Global Proliferation Demands Blanket Restrictions on Sales
More than 70 countries have acquired drones of different classes and for different purposes. However, the number of countries actually developing “armed” drones is far smaller. And smaller still is the number of those countries developing long-range armed systems.
Feb 19, 2015

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RAND Topic:
Arms Proliferation and Control

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Graham Andrews

Assistant Policy Researcher

Graham Andrews is a doctoral candidate at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, and a B.S. in computer science from the University of Redlands. His research interests include the…
Gregory S. Jones

Adjunct Defense Policy Analyst

Gregory S. Jones is an adjunct defense policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. His research has focused on the potential for terrorists and hostile countries to acquire and use nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological weapons, and the formulation of policies and actions to control and…

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