A Middle East Free of Weapons of Mass Destruction

In a field dominated by Western voices, Mousavian and Kiyaei offer a refreshing perspective as Iranian scholars who understand both worlds. They offer practical ideas for how the Iran nuclear agreement can be a building block to the long-sought goal of a Middle East free of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. At a time when the nuclear agreement is under severe pressure, their prescription is another strong reason to preserve the accord. - Mark Fitzpatrick, International Institute for Strategic Studies The book makes thoughtful, well-informed, original, balanced and timely contributions to the academic and policy debates on the challenges of reducing the risks from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, focusing particularly in the Persian Gulf region. At a time when we are so close to war as a result of the US confrontation with Iran - nominally over Iran's nuclear program, but at least as much because of regional rivalries - it is an important reminder that there are more creative and positive ways to deal with the situation. - Frank von Hippel, Princeton University, USA The dynamics that produce calls for making the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction are not going away. Neither are the obstacles to creating such a zone. Mousavian and Kiyaei make a fresh and constructive case for why Middle Eastern states and others should more energetically begin efforts to build such a zone and how it could be designed and verified. - George Perkovich, Ken Oliver and Angela Nomellini Chair and vice president for studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace For over 30 years, the international community has struggled over the goal of freeing the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction. This effort found new impetus in December 2018 when the United Nations agreed to hold an annual conference to develop and conclude a legally binding treaty for such a zone. In this timely and necessary contribution, Mousavian and Kiyaei chart a detailed and compelling path for what such a treaty could include and how it could be achieved. - Zia Mian, Princeton University, USA In a field dominated by Western voices, Mousavian and Kiyaei offer a refreshing perspective as Iranian scholars who understand both worlds. They offer practical ideas for how the Iran nuclear agreement can be a building block to the long-sought goal of a Middle East free of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. At a time when the nuclear agreement is under severe pressure, their prescription is another strong reason to preserve the accord. -Mark Fitzpatrick, International Institute for Strategic Studies The book makes thoughtful, well-informed, original, balanced and timely contributions to the academic and policy debates on the challenges of reducing the risks from nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, focusing particularly in the Persian Gulf region. At a time when we are so close to war as a result of the U.S. confrontation with Iran-nominally over Iran's nuclear program, but at least as much because of regional rivalries-it is an important reminder that there are more creative and positive ways to deal with the situation. -Frank von Hippel, Princeton University, USA The dynamics that produce calls for making the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction are not going away. Neither are the obstacles to creating such a zone. Mousavian and Kiyaei make a fresh and constructive case for why Middle Eastern states and others should more energetically begin efforts to build such a zone and how it could be designed and verified. -George Perkovich, Ken Oliver and Angela Nomellini Chair and vice president for studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace For over 30 years, the international community has struggled over the goal of freeing the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction. This effort found new impetus in December 2018 when the United Nations agreed to hold an annual conference to develop and conclude a legally binding treaty for such a zone. In this timely and necessary contribution, Mousavian and Kiyaei chart a detailed and compelling path for what such a treaty could include and how it could be achieved. -Zia Mian, Princeton University, USA As the international community grapples with the immediate challenge of Iran's nuclear program, those in Washington and other capitals charged with this task would be well-advised to consult Seyed Hossein Mousavian's and Emad Kiyaei's book and perhaps devise a more considered approach to rid the Middle East of the threat of mass destruction that continues to hang over the region. - Karim Haggag, The Cairo Review of Global Affairs The authors of this important book look at the Middle East (the Arab states, Iran, Israel, and Turkey). They take the proposal a step forward by adding three important features designed to make a nuclear-free zone more effective and perhaps more acceptable. - Thomas R. Pickering, Arms Control Today