Iran Nuclear Diplomacy: Transcript & Resources

For Immediate Release: February 15, 2012

Media Contacts: Peter Crail, Nonproliferation Analyst, 202-463-8270, ext. 102; Greg Thielmann, Senior Fellow, 202-463- 8270, ext. 103.

(Washington, D.C.) Amid rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program, the key parties engaged in the issue have all said they are interested in a diplomatic solution to the current impasse. In a letter on behalf of the P5+1 last October, European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton called on Iran to return to serious talks on the nuclear file. Iranian officials have said they are ready for talks and are preparing a formal response.

The Arms Control Association hosted a briefing Feb. 9 on the need to maintain diplomatic engagement as part of the U.S. strategy to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

The event featured Ambassador James Dobbins of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center, Dr. James Walsh of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Security Studies Program (SSP), and ACA
Nonproliferation Analyst Peter Crail.

The speakers addressed the prospects for any upcoming talks and the diplomatic proposals on the table and discussed the challenges of negotiating with Iran and ways in which the possibility of a negotiated resolution could be improved. A transcript for this event can be found here.

For additional relevant background information on the Iran nuclear challenge, see:

Iran Nuclear Brief: Charting a Diplomatic Path On the Iran Nuclear Challenge, Peter Crail, January 25, 2012.

Iran Nuclear Brief: The Path to Avoiding War and Resolving the Nuclear Crisis, Greg Thielmann, January 4, 2012.

The IAEA's Iran Report: Assessment and Implications, Peter Crail, Daryl G. Kimball, and Greg Thielmann, November 8, 2011.

Iran Nuclear Brief: Assessing Iran's Nuclear Program Without Exaggeration or Complacency, Mark Fitzpatrick, October 3, 2011

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The Arms Control Association (ACA) is an independent nongovernmental organization dedicated to addressing the challenges posed by the world's most dangerous weapons.