Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Iran’s New Budget Is Tight, But Not Tight Enough

Rouhani has taken a remarkably austere fiscal approach ahead of the looming parliamentary election, but the country’s economic situation is still not sustainable over the long run.

Dec 13, 2019

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

GCC Security Issues, as Their Publics See Them: A Rare Look at Real Data

Polling results from five Gulf countries show where citizens and their leaders converge and diverge on Iran, U.S. relations, and other crucial foreign policy matters.

Dec 12, 2019

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Deterring Iran’s Next Attack

Since a maximum pressure policy requires maximum deterrence, the president should avoid tweets and actions that undercut U.S. credibility regarding the use of force, while authorizing the requisite rules of engagement.

Dec 11, 2019

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Michael Eisenstadt

Brief Analysis

Europe Pushing Back on Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program

Britain, France, and Germany are taking a more proactive role by publicly emphasizing known concerns about the regime’s R&D efforts, but practical mechanisms for ensuring transparency are still needed.

Dec 9, 2019

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

What Will It Take to Repair Middle Eastern Economies?

Directly investing in nongovernmental enterprise and giving international approval to private competition can change the dynamic in individual countries, promote liberal economies, and give citizens greater agency.

Dec 8, 2019

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Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Punishing Iran’s Triggermen in Iraq: Opening Moves in a Long Campaign

Some of the worst perpetrators of the murderous crackdown against Iraqi protestors have finally been sanctioned, but follow-on actions need to be taken more quickly in coordination with Britain and other allies.

Dec 6, 2019

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Iran Is Losing Iraq’s Tribes

Angry over Iranian militia abuses and Baghdad’s sundry failures, a number of powerful tribes are setting aside their traditional sectarian loyalties and pushing to safeguard their basic needs, sometimes violently.

Dec 4, 2019

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Phillip Smyth

Brief Analysis

The IRGC States Its Case for Escalation Against the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia

As its concerns about domestic dissent and Western naval activity grow, Tehran may once again try to divert attention from the unrest at home by launching attacks abroad.

Nov 26, 2019

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

Khamenei’s Domestic and Foreign Response Options to the Protests

The Supreme Leader faces tough choices about who to blame for the protests, and what impact they should have on policy toward the United States.

Nov 21, 2019

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Gasoline Protests: Regime Unpopular but Resilient

The demonstrations indicate widespread popular rejection of the political system, but this same system remains well organized to deflect and counter unrest.

Nov 18, 2019

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Patrick Clawson
Mehdi Khalaji
Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

A Better Iran Deal Is Within Reach

With Tehran testing the limits of European patience, Washington has an opening to forge a united front, offer conditional leeway on some sanctions, and push the Iranians back to the negotiating table.

Nov 15, 2019

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Rouhani’s Shifting Argument for Preserving the JCPOA

Facing grim prospects in Iran’s upcoming elections, the president’s camp is trying to convince hardliners that they need to keep the nuclear deal alive in order to continue expanding their military arsenal and intervening abroad.

Nov 14, 2019

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Iraqi Freedom Confronts Iranian Domination

The United States has turned toward realpolitik, but it has a strategic interest in backing demonstrators.

Nov 11, 2019

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Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

Recalling the Hostage Crisis That Made Iran Forever Hostile to the U.S.

A former correspondent in Tehran reflects on how the crisis set the stage for many of Washington’s current difficulties with the regime, and whether anything has really changed.

Nov 5, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Nuclear Steps and the New IAEA Chief

The steady weakening by Tehran of its international nuclear commitments will be the most immediate challenge for the next head of the world’s nuclear watchdog.

Oct 30, 2019

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Simon Henderson
Elana DeLozier

Articles & Testimony

The U.S.: Between Being the World’s Policeman and Trusting Regional Partners

Despite long-documented public weariness with Middle East conflicts, Trump’s successor could well recognize the value of reestablishing American credibility in the region.

Oct 28, 2019

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Exposing and Sanctioning Human Rights Violations by Iraqi Militias

As new protests and further government crackdowns loom, Washington should call out abuses by Iran-backed entities and sanction the key offenders.

Oct 22, 2019

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Michael Knights

Articles & Testimony

Iran Is Losing the Middle East, Protests in Lebanon and Iraq Show

Recent upsurges in dissent cross sectarian lines and reveal the governing incompetence at the core of Iranian proxy leadership.

Oct 22, 2019

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

The Sochi Summit: Potential Outcomes and Implications

As Washington pushes Erdogan to act responsibly in northeast Syria, the Turkish leader may face contrary pressures from Russia and Iran, who are keeping forces on the ground to back up whatever demands are made at this week’s summit and beyond.

Oct 21, 2019

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Soner Cagaptay

A Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Bahrain Hosts Regional Maritime Security Meeting

The first such gathering since the recent spate of Iranian attacks, the multinational meeting could help Washington build a coalition capable of preventing future flare-ups.

Oct 21, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Supported by the

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran poses the most serious and urgent set of security challenges to the United States and its allies in the greater Middle East. Since the Khomeini revolution in 1979, Iran has sought to export its radical ideology through the use of terrorism, subversion, and support to ideological fellow-travelers throughout the Muslim world.

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Featured experts

Farzin Nadimi

Farzin Nadimi, a Senior Fellow with The Washington Institute, is a Washington-based analyst specializing in the security and defense affairs of Iran and the Persian Gulf region.

Patrick Clawson

Patrick Clawson is the Morningstar Senior Fellow and Research Counselor at The Washington Institute.

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Policy Analysis on Iran

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