Digests and Blog

This bulletin highlights significant events in the world of arms control in the coming week, as compiled by staff and friends of the Arms Control Association. (Send your suggestions for events to be covered here.) - the Editors at Arms Control Today Iran Talks to Resume in Geneva Negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, and Germany) resume in Geneva on Nov. 20. The two sides appear to be very close to a "first phase" agreement that would pause Iran's nuclear progress and address the most urgent activities of proliferation concern in…

As the most recent round of negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) wound down on November 10, an unlikely player emerged center-stage in the press coverage of the negotiations: the Arak heavy water reactor. The Arak reactor represents a potential second pathway for Iran to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. Heavy water reactors are particularly well-suited for plutonium production, which must be separated from the radioactive spent fuel of the reactor if it is to be used for weapons. For this reason, the…

By Kelsey Davenport, Daryl G. Kimball, and Greg Thielmann (Updated November 18) The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi and Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano, right, after signing an agreement in Tehran on November 11 giving the agency greater access to some nuclear sites in Iran. (Credit: European Pressphoto Agency) During the negotiations in Geneva on November 7-10, Iran and the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) made significant progress toward reaching a "first…

This bulletin highlights significant events in the world of arms control in the coming week, as compiled by staff and friends of the Arms Control Association. (Send your suggestions for events to be covered here.) - the Editors at Arms Control Today IAEA Quarterly Report on Iran's Nuclear Program On Monday, IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano will met with top Iranian officials to initial an an updated framework agreement for cooperation. See: . Later this week the IAEA is expected to release an updated quarterly report on Iran's nuclear program. The last report issued in August describes…

By Daryl G. Kimball and Kelsey Davenport (Updated 6:00am, Nov. 11, 2013) US Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Catherine Ashton, lead negotiator for the P5+1, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Geneva on Nov. 9. After three days of intense, multidimensional talks in Geneva Nov. 7-9, the P5+1 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, plus Germany) and Iran are closing in on a breakthrough, "first phase" deal that would verifiably halt the progress of Iran's nuclear program. Although the most recent round of talks did not end with an agreement, the talks…

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Nov. 7, before the start of the nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/GettyImages) By Daryl G. Kimball and Kelsey Davenport For nearly a decade, negotiators from United States and other major powers have sought but failed to reach a deal with Iran to guard against the possibility that Tehran may someday seek to build nuclear weapons. Since the last major diplomatic opportunity to limit Iran's program was squandered in 2005-06, Iran has increased its capacity to enrich uranium…

By Kelsey Davenport Tero Varjoranta, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards and Iranian Ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi address the press on Oct. 29 after two days of talks in Vienna. After the two days of meetings in Vienna the IAEA and Iran issued a joint statement that described the discussions as "substantive" and referenced the "new proposal" presented by Tehran. The proposal was described as containing "practical measures" to "strengthen cooperation and dialogue with a view to future resolutions of all outstanding issues." The IAEA laid out its…

This bulletin highlights significant events in the world of arms control in the coming week, as compiled by staff and friends of the Arms Control Association. (Send your suggestions for events to be covered here.) - the Editors at Arms Control Today Iran Resumes IAEA Talks on Oct. 28 As Iran negotiates with six global powers over the future of its nuclear program, officials from the Islamic Republic meet with the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss Iran's nuclear activities that might have a military purpose. For an in-depth analysis, see: "It's Time for Iran to Cooperate with the…

This bulletin highlights significant events in the world of arms control in the coming week, as compiled by staff and friends of the Arms Control Association. (Send your suggestions for events to be covered here.) - the Editors at Arms Control Today States Meet for Middle East WMD Free Zone Pre-Meeting On Oct. 21, Jaakko Laajava, the Finnish coordinator for the Conference on a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction will convene key parties in Glion, Switzerland for consultations on reaching agreement on an agenda and date for the long-delayed meeting.…

Officials from the P5+1 countries meet with Iranian officials in Geneva on October 15 for talks on Iran's nuclear program.By Greg Thielmann Based on available evidence, the atmosphere and content of the two days of six power talks in Geneva with Iran's new negotiating team bodes well for the chances of achieving an acceptable resolution to the Iran nuclear crisis. Although full details of the exchanges are not available and the two sides have agreed not to reveal the details, it is clear this round was different than others conducted during the past two years. In her closing press conference…