U.S Congress Slows Unilateral Sanctions Drive Against Iran

President Barack Obama's efforts to gain greater flexibility in dealing with Iran received a small but potentially important boost here Tuesday when a key Congressional committee announced that the deadline for a unilateral U.S. sanctions package will be put off until next month.

Nukes-Free Future May Depend on Citizen Campaigns

Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, a former U.N. under-secretary-general, offered a piece of advice to anti-nuclear activists campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons: "Don't depend on governments - and don't depend on the United Nations."

Eastern Europe Resists Disarmament

Despite the U.S. and Russia signing what was widely hailed as a landmark deal on nuclear arms reduction in Eastern Europe last month, the region remains hesitant to back full disarmament.

Pressure Mounts on N. Korea over Warship Attack

Thursday's formal accusation by South Korea that a North Korean torpedo sunk the warship Cheonan, killing 46 South Korean sailors, has set off a flurry of activity in Washington as politicians and foreign policy experts try to identify an appropriate U.S. response while balancing the need to maintain a stable relationship with China - the North's biggest sponsor.

Brazil-Turkey Deal with Iran Undermines Big Power Politics

When Brazil and Turkey clinched a deal with Iran over its disputed nuclear programme last weekend, the two non-permanent members of the Security Council not only challenged the unbridled political power exercised by the five big powers but also jeopardised U.S. plans for a unanimous resolution imposing sanctions against Tehran.

U.S. Says Only Reason for Talks with Iran Is Enrichment Halt

The agreement on draft Security Council resolution sanctions against Iran has grabbed the headlines on the Barack Obama administration's response to Iran's nuclear swap proposal brokered by Turkey and Brazil. But the more consequential response is the acknowledgement by the U.S. State Department Monday that the administration is not willing to hold talks with Iran unless it agrees to a complete halt in uranium enrichment.

Iranian Nuclear Threat Spurs Mideast Arms Sales

The United States, and most of the Western world, have transformed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into a virtual bogeyman, thereby spreading fear throughout the neighbouring countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

IRAN: Brazil-Turkey-Mediated Deal Puts Ball in U.S. Court

The administration of President Barack Obama has reacted sceptically to the nuclear swap accord signed Monday by Iran, Turkey and Brazil, suggesting that Tehran would have to take significant additional steps to satisfy U.S. and Western demands to curb its nuclear programme.

MIDEAST: Israel, Iran Talking War to Ward Off War?

Suddenly, the Middle East is awash with talk of war this summer. Or, is the talk of war merely meant to keep war at bay?

Treaty Aimed at Banning Nukes Remains Grounded

The world's anti-war activists, including parliamentarians, civil society groups and diplomats, have succeeded in creating international treaties to ban a wide array of deadly weapons: anti-personnel landmines, blinding laser weapons, cluster munitions, dum-dum bullets and chemical and biological weapons.

Talk of a Nuclear Deal Gains Steam in Iran

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's return to Tehran after attending the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review meeting at U.N. headquarters has been received with the usual bombast by the conservative and hard-line media in Iran, which declared him victorious and an indispensable global leader.

U.S. Business Groups Fault Rush to Sanctions on Iran

The U.S. Congress is moving forward with a bill to sanction companies that do business in Iran despite the White House's efforts to build international support for U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Nuclear Power Nearly as Dangerous as Weapons, Critics Say

The quest for nuclear disarmament is likely to fail if governments and corporations continue to promote nuclear technologies as a solution to the world's energy needs, say independent experts.

Q&A: “I Feel Duty-Bound to Push for a Nuclear-Free World”

Emerging from a U.N. conference addressing the role that the world's mayors can play on nuclear issues, Hiroshima's Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba continues to call for a rapid end to nuclear weapons.

Will Mideast Tug-Of-War Wreck Anti-Nuke Meet?

When the last review conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) ended inconclusively - after four long weeks of protracted negotiations - the meeting was described as having accomplished "very little" with no substantive agreement.

Israel, Iran Targeted at Nuke Non-Proliferation Meet

A month-long Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) began Monday with a predictable target: Israel.

NPT Meet Draws Thousands of Anti-Nukes Activists

Japanese women in kimonos carrying signs urging "No More Hiroshima", an 80-year-old grandmother, and 18 mayors from around the world were just some of the almost 15,000 people who marched in New York City Sunday to rally for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Q&A: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime Has Triple Standards

The abolition of nuclear weapons - and a halt to the spread of the deadly armaments - will be a major talking point at the month-long Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), scheduled to take place at the United Nations beginning next week.

U.S./IRAN: Sanctions Debate Heats Up

Wednesday's highly unusual public launch of a "conference committee" of both houses of Congress to hash out differences in long-pending legislation to impose unilateral sanctions on Iran marks a new stage in the escalating debate over what to do about Tehran's nuclear programme.

U.S. Nuclear Option on Iran Linked to Israeli Attack Threat

The Barack Obama administration's declaration in its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) that it is reserving the right to use nuclear weapons against Iran represents a new element in a strategy of persuading Tehran that an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites is a serious possibility if Iran does not bow to the demand that it cease uranium enrichment.

Is the U.S. Going Soft on Israeli, Indian & Pakistani Nukes?

When a much-ballyhooed two-day nuclear security summit ended in Washington early this week, there were several lingering questions that remained unanswered - even by the host of the high-powered 47-nation gathering, U.S President Barack Obama.