Carnegie Moscow Center
The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has worked on developing nuclear weapon designs and on testing components. It comes amid rumors that Israel is preparing to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran stops short of saying Tehran masterminded a secret program to possess atomic arms and it made the outlook for a negotiated solution to the Iran crisis less likely.
Turkey’s approach to regional tensions and other looming security challenges is shaped by its deep commitment to building stability and cooperation in its neighborhood and the wider Euro-Atlantic community.
In the wake of the Arab Spring, some countries, like Egypt and Tunisia, are in the process of a real democratic transformation, while others, like Libya, Yemen, and Syria, are in deep crisis.
Although Russians are closely watching the demonstrations and regime changes taking place across the Middle East and North Africa, it is the situation in Central Asia that is more likely to affect Russia in the long run.
Confronting the global challenges in 2011, from the ongoing war in Afghanistan and a rising China to continuing international economic turmoil, will require an understanding how much has changed and the extent to which the center of gravity in global power has shifted.
President Ahmadinejad’s meeting with the leader of Hezbollah is further evidence of Iran’s efforts to gain a foothold in the Middle East as one of the key regional players.
In order to convince Iran to use its eventual nuclear weapons arsenal only for deterrence and regional power politics, the Obama administration must work to empower the moderates in the Iranian leadership.
While no historical analogy is perfect, analysts looking to understand Iran’s character and predict its future trajectory can benefit from comparing the Islamic Republic to the Soviet Union.
The Russian government’s drive to modernize its economy is increasingly reflected in its foreign policy priorities, including its relations with the United States, Europe, and China and its position on Iran's nuclear program.