Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Two experts diagnose the Shia militia problem in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, offering concrete advice for reducing the power of Iran's proxies.

Feb 6, 2018

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Hanin Ghaddar
Phillip Smyth

Articles & Testimony

Here's Where Advocates and Critics of the Iran Nuke Deal Can Agree

Supporters should see the administration's threats as a last chance to salvage the deal, while critics should seize the opportunity to correct its flaws.

Feb 5, 2018

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Michael Singh

In-Depth Reports

Iran's Foreign Legion:

The Impact of Shia Militias on U.S. Foreign Policy

The leading such group is Lebanese Hezbollah, but Iraq's PMF and Yemen's Houthis also pose serious threats.

Feb 1, 2018

Brief Analysis

With or Without Putin, Israel Is Willing to Enforce Lebanon Redline

Through Moscow meetings and public statements, Israeli officials have made clear that Iranian weapons facilities in Lebanon are a game changer, so escalation is quite possible if Tehran ignores their warnings.

Feb 1, 2018

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David Makovsky

Brief Analysis

Saudi Nuclear Talks: Risks and Limitations

Allowing Riyadh to produce its own nuclear fuel could have bad proliferation consequences in the Middle East and Asia, but Washington may not have the leverage to enforce a permanent ban.

Jan 31, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Articles & Testimony

The International Order and Nuclear Negotiations with Iran

The recent history of U.S. policy toward Iran shows why Washington must consistently treat its international leverage as a precious asset, not a mere political tool.

Jan 31, 2018

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

New Palestinian and Egyptian Designations Highlight Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood

The State Department is upping the pressure on Tehran and the Brotherhood's violent progeny in Gaza and Egypt.

Jan 31, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

'Losing an Enemy' Doesn't Tell the Full JCPOA Story

Trita Parsi's formidable persuasive effort would be stronger if he took the counterarguments more seriously and explained why the nuclear negotiations turned out the way they did.

Jan 25, 2018

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Conflict and Cover-Up: The Real Story of What Is Happening in Yemen

As Saudi military failures draw ever-sharper criticism, Iran seems content to support proxy actions that stop just short of prompting a direct clash with Riyadh.

Jan 25, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Evolution of Shia Insurgency in Bahrain

With Iran's help, militant cells are poised to add unmanned vehicles, anti-armor weapons, and other potent capabilities to their existing IED and combat skill set.

Jan 24, 2018

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Michael Knights
Matthew Levitt

Video

Middle East FAQs Volume 1: What is the Shia Crescent?

Institute experts Patrick Clawson, Hanin Ghaddar, and Nader Uskowi discuss Iran's growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and beyond.

Jan 17, 2018

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Patrick Clawson
Hanin Ghaddar
Nader Uskowi

In-Depth Reports

Regional Pushback, Nuclear Rollback:

A Comprehensive Strategy for an Iran in Turmoil

This past October, President Trump rolled out a new U.S. strategy toward Iran focused, in the president's words, on the country's destabilizing regional activities, support for terrorist proxies, and proliferation of missiles; he also mentioned the need to fix "serious flaws" in the July 2015 nuclear deal. Trump's plan, however

Jan 11, 2018

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

The U.S. Cannot Stand Alone in Middle East Negotiations

If Washington wants to counter destabilizing Iranian activities and guard against a radical Islamic State successor, it must work with European and Arab partners.

Jan 10, 2018

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Will the Trump Administration Force Oman to Choose Sides?

Washington and its Gulf allies are pressuring Oman on weapons smuggling and other issues, but the president should not discount the depth and potential usefulness of the sultan's ties with Tehran.

Jan 9, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Articles & Testimony

On Iran, Trump Should Be Like Reagan

History shows that the president can sanction Iranian leaders for human-rights abuses, missile proliferation, and other violations while still strengthening the nuclear deal.

Jan 9, 2018

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Richard Goldberg
Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Sorting Out U.S. and European Differences Over Iran

Their wildly divergent responses to Iran's protests may be the first salvos in an imminent standoff over the future of the nuclear agreement and international sanctions.

Jan 8, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Brief Analysis

Rouhani's Protest Paradox

If the protests intensify, President Rouhani may be hard pressed to unravel his greatest dilemma: how to honor his economic and reform promises while preserving his decades-long commitment to the regime's core principles.

Jan 8, 2018

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Omer Carmi

Video

Brief Analysis

Protests in Iran: Why? What Impact? How Should the U.S. Respond?

Washington Institute experts discuss the economic, social, diplomatic, and military implications of the anti-regime demonstrations sweeping Iran. Read a summary or watch video of the full event.

Jan 8, 2018

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Michael Singh
Patrick Clawson
Michael Eisenstadt
Hanin Ghaddar
Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Iran's Coercive Apparatus: Capacity and Desire

A closer look at the structure and tactics of the many-headed internal security network that the Islamic Republic has deployed to crack down on protestors nationwide.

Jan 5, 2018

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Saeid Golkar

Brief Analysis

Provinces Lead the Center in Iran's Protests

As ethnic minorities and poverty-stricken provincial communities assume a greater role in nationwide unrest, the regime will likely try to pit them against each other.

Jan 4, 2018

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Brenda Shaffer

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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