Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty

An agreement signed on December 8, 1987, by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. Enacted on June 1, 1988, it called for the elimination of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles within three years of the treaty's entry into force and was the first arms control agreement to eliminate, not simply restrict, nuclear missile systems. Its provisions for on-site inspections led to the creation of the On-Site Inspection Agency, and its verification provisions have served as the model for subsequent agreements.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.