Democracy & Reform

Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

A Lebanese protester holds a sign denouncing Iranian influence

Iran Occupies Lebanon via Proxy, But the Lebanese Still Have Agency

Although not much can be done about disarming Hezbollah at the moment, any serious Western policy will need to focus on sanctioning the group’s domestic political enablers while engaging and protecting its Shia opponents.

Dec 13, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar

Kurdish protesters killed by the Iranian regime

Video

Brief Analysis

Kurds Against the Iranian Regime: Internal and Regional Implications

Activists and experts discuss what Washington can do to curb Tehran’s violent campaigns against Kurdish populations at home and next door in Iraq.

Dec 13, 2022

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Abdullah Mohtadi
Shukriya Bradost
David Pollock

A supporter of Tunisia's Islamist Ennahda Party protests against the Tunisian president's 2022 coup - source: Reuters

Fikra Forum

Tunisia: Caught Between the IMF and International Isolation

In the absence of strong international support, Tunisians have been left to face the worsening political and economic crises on their own

Dec 12, 2022

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Maher Latif

Articles & Testimony

The Paradox of Centralization and State Fracture in Iraq

Decentralizing power would have been the best way of avoiding a return to Saddam-era authoritarianism and corruption, but Baghdad has favored centralization instead—while simultaneously fissuring the state through sectarian patronage and competition.

Dec 9, 2022

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Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Human Rights Sanctions on Iran Need More Coordination and Creativity

Several countries have rapidly imposed new sanctions in response to the regime’s repression of peaceful protests, but they should do more to harmonize and expand these actions.

Dec 9, 2022

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Henry Rome

Brief Analysis

Violence in Iran’s Uprising: What Happens If Either Side Escalates?

The regime still has additional means of making the crackdown even more lethal, and parts of the country are potentially primed to take up arms in response, with uncertain consequences on the ground.

Dec 8, 2022

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Farzin Nadimi
Patrick Clawson

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, gestures while speaking

Brief Analysis

Khamenei Focusing on “External Threats,” Not Protest Demands

In an attempt to rally Iranians around the flag, his latest speech fixated on “Western plots,” indicating that he has no imminent plans to make significant concessions to protesters.

Dec 2, 2022

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Omer Carmi

Brief Analysis

Tunisians Pessimistic Ahead of Parliamentary Election

Socioeconomic unrest is growing in many parts of the country, and the series of elections planned this month and next year hold little prospect of bolstering public confidence in an increasingly autocratic government.

Dec 2, 2022

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Sabina Henneberg

Fikra Forum

KRG and PA: Reprioritizing Governance over Symbolism

Although Palestinian and Kurdish politics have similarly deteriorated into ineffective blame games, fresh U.S. policies focused on institution-building could restore the promise of progress in both cases.

Dec 2, 2022

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Ghaith al-Omari
Bilal Wahab

Fikra Forum

The Tenacity of Young Iranians in the Protest Movement

Despite the regime's crackdown, Iranian protestors are showing unprecedented resilience and unity in their demands, making the international community's next steps even more crucial.

Nov 29, 2022

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Haleh Esfandiari

An Iranian soccer fan protests at a World Cup game in Qatar - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Team Melli vs. Team USA: Iran’s Game of Contradictions

The regime’s often-hypocritical handling of this year’s World Cup comes to a head with a matchup against the United States, and a political victory seems unattainable regardless of the results on the field.

Nov 29, 2022

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Saving Iraqi Sovereignty: Iran, Turkey and a Fractured Homeland

There are ways for the new prime minister to reinforce Iraq’s independence after a series of foreign attacks, but they will be complex and painful.

Nov 27, 2022

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Bilal Wahab

Fikra Forum

Tracking the Religious Zionist Party Bloc in the Settlements

An analysis of Israel's last five Knesset elections indicates that settlement demographics have played a big role in the rise of Israel's ultra-nationalist, far-right bloc.

Nov 22, 2022

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Alex Harris
Sander Eizen

Fikra Forum

The System and the Parallel System in Iraq

Instead of blaming the untested constitution for government failures, Iraqi politicians must look inward to the corrupt parallel system that undermines national politics.

Nov 22, 2022

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Bjar Sharif

Fikra Forum

Sunnis in Iran: Protesting Against Decades of Discrimination and Repression

After years of underrepresentation and repression at the hands of the regime, Iran's Sunni population is playing an important role in the current protests.

Nov 21, 2022

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Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Iranian women's rights activist Masih Alinejad speaks at the Institute's 2022 Scholar-Statesman Award dinner in New York City - source: The Washington Institute

Video

Brief Analysis

A Conversation with Masih Alinejad

Watch or read a conversation with Masih Alinejad, an Iranian American human rights activist and The Washington Institute’s 2022 Scholar-Statesman honoree.

Nov 21, 2022

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Masih Alinejad

New Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani attends the first regular session of the Council of Ministers in Baghdad in November 2022 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Who Is Mohammed Shia al-Sudani?

A closer look at the new prime minister’s political career, past affiliations, and key cabinet picks as he attempts to balance relations with pro-Iran groups and wary U.S. officials.

Nov 18, 2022

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May Kadow
Erik Yavorsky

A statue of the men's FIFA World Cup trophy on display in downtown Tehran, Iran - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

A Politically Challenging World Cup for Iran

Instead of attracting tourists, boosting the economy, and rallying Iranians around the flag, this year’s tournament could turn into a Pyrrhic victory for the regime given its dire political situation at home.

Nov 18, 2022

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Omer Carmi

Qatari and Saudi soccer players in the 2014 Gulf Cup final game - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Gulf Rivalries and the Qatar World Cup

Nearly two years after Gulf neighbors put a splint on their diplomatic fracture with Doha, persistent tensions and historic quarrels will form a major part of the competition’s backdrop.

Nov 17, 2022

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

New EU Sanctions Indicate More Willingness to Hold Tehran Accountable

Although their ultimate effects are uncertain, the new sanctions are a powerful signal that European governments are readier than ever to confront the regime’s human rights violations, drone deliveries to Russia, and nuclear stalling.

Nov 15, 2022

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Henry Rome
Louis Dugit-Gros

Supported by the

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

Fikra n. [Arabic] "Idea"

The Washington Institute's Project Fikra is a multiyear program of research, publication, and network-building designed to generate policy ideas for promoting positive change and countering the spread of extremism in the Middle East.

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Catherine Cleveland

Catherine Cleveland is The Washington Institute's Croft-Wagner Family Senior Fellow and managing editor of Fikra Forum.

Ben Fishman

Ben Fishman is the Steven D. Levy Senior Fellow in the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, where he focuses on North Africa.

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Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

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Policy Analysis on Democracy & Reform

Project Fikra: Defeating Extremism through the Power of Ideas

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