A mild and rapid method for the iodination of arenes that utilizes silver(I) triflimide as a catalyst for activation of N-iodosuccinimide has been developed. The transformation was found to be general for a wide range of anisole, aniline, acetanilide, and phenol derivatives and allowed the late-stage iodination of biologically active compounds such as PIMBA, a SPECT imaging agent of breast cancer, and (-)-IBZM, a dopamine D2 receptor antagonist. The method was also modified for the radioiodination of arenes using a one-pot procedure involving the in situ generation of [125I]-N-iodosuccinimide followed by the silver(I)-catalyzed iodination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]