Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Brief Analysis

Getting to Zero Iranian Oil Exports

The world oil market will be the most sensitive indicator of how increased sanctions affect Iran.

Nov 1, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Procurement Channel (Part 2): The Clandestine Factor

Trying to stop Iran’s nuclear proliferation is a task better suited to allied intelligence services than customs authorities and procurement channels.

Oct 31, 2018

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Elana DeLozier
Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Procurement Channel (Part 1): Salvaging Nonproliferation Gains While Reimposing Sanctions

Washington can use sanctions as leverage to demand more vigilance from JCPOA signatories even as it allows certain useful procurements.

Oct 30, 2018

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Katherine Bauer
Elana DeLozier

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Economy Is Stagnating Even Before New U.S. Sanctions Hit

The impact of imminent sanctions will be magnified by the economy’s recent struggles, and Tehran’s bad financial policies will only make matters worse.

Oct 29, 2018

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Iran’s ‘Resistance’ Bloc Rises amid New U.S. Sanctions

Hardliners see the latest pressure as proof that defiance works better than compromise—an attitude they are likely to change only if the pressure intensifies.

Oct 29, 2018

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Mehdi Khalaji

A banner of Iran's former Supreme leader Khomeini

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Anti-Western ‘Blueprint’ for the Next Fifty Years

Khamenei’s latest guidelines for Iranian culture and governance focus on resisting any efforts to reform the regime’s decisionmaking tendencies.

Oct 24, 2018

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Delicate Diplomacy in Western Sahara

As the UN mulls the future of the peacekeeping mission, Washington should proceed cautiously in encouraging negotiations to avoid undermining essential alliances.

Oct 18, 2018

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

How Trump Can Get a Better Deal on Iran

The United States needs to keep Europe on board, go beyond sanctions, and ensure lasting bipartisan support for its new policy.

Oct 10, 2018

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Washington Should Reverse Its Retreat in Basra

The shuttering of a vital U.S. diplomatic outpost in Iraq sends all the wrong signals about America’s resolve to push back against Iran’s malign activities.

Oct 10, 2018

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

After the Ilyushin Crash: Israel's Anti-Iran Operations in Syria

Russia delivered advanced air-defense systems to Syria after the recent airplane-downing incident, but its desire to check Iran could permit continued Israeli operations in the Syrian skies.

Oct 3, 2018

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Assaf Orion

Brief Analysis

For a Second Time, Iran Fires Missiles at IS Targets in Syria

Tehran likely used the attack to demonstrate its unhindered regional reach, while flashing its enhanced deterrent posture through the testing of new military hardware.

Oct 1, 2018

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Nuclear Deal Was Not a Magic Wand for Rouhani—Iran in New Crisis

The Iranian president focused on the nuclear file to the exclusion of all other issues, and his country is feeling the consequences today.

Sep 28, 2018

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Israel, Iran, Syria and Trump Strategy: The Best Way Forward

Enhanced Russian support for the Syrian regime could dramatically boost risks for Israeli operations, and U.S. intervention alone can shift the calculus.

Sep 27, 2018

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Iran and Hezbollah in Syria: U.S. Policy Options

A veteran Lebanese journalist discusses achievements by Iran and its chief proxy over seven years of war, and how U.S. countermeasures could still help restore stability and deter jihadism in Syria.

Sep 27, 2018

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Hanin Ghaddar

Articles & Testimony

Containing Iranian Proxies in Iraq

A former U.S. ambassador offers recommendations on how Washington can most effectively employ sanctions against Shia militias, reengage with Baghdad, and welcome a role from its Arab allies.

Sep 26, 2018

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Barbara A. Leaf

Brief Analysis

The Shia Arabs of Khuzestan

Tribal identity supersedes religious affiliation in this community, helping explain why Tehran can expect further challenges from this southwestern province.

Sep 25, 2018

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Terrorist Attack in Iran a Concern for Saudis, Oil Markets

Iranian disruption of Saudi production could wreak havoc on global oil markets, and be challenging to counter absent clear fingerprints from Tehran.

Sep 24, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

How Tehran Might React to the Ahvaz Attack

The identity of the assailants remains unresolved, but precedent suggests Iran could respond by targeting minorities at home, assassinating oppositionists abroad, or attempting missile strikes on jihadist areas in Syria or Iraq.

Sep 24, 2018

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Omer Carmi

Brief Analysis

Syria Downs a Russian Plane: What Next?

Despite Russia’s anger and false media claims about the incident, Moscow is unlikely to demand that Israel halt its campaign against Iran’s foreign military buildup.

Sep 21, 2018

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Assaf Orion
Anna Borshchevskaya
Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

The Smart Way to Sanction Iranian-Backed Militias in Iraq

Timing is everything, so Washington should coordinate its designations with Baghdad to avoid upsetting the government formation process or throwing Iran a lifeline.

Sep 17, 2018

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Michael Knights
Barbara A. Leaf
Matthew Levitt
Phillip Smyth

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

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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