Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Iran's Support to Houthi Air Defenses in Yemen

In addition to preventing the entry of smuggled Iranian air-defense systems, Washington should work with the Saudi-led coalition to blunt the impact of evolving Houthi SAM tactics.

Apr 4, 2018

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Farzin Nadimi
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Turkish-Russian-Iranian Summit: Limits to a Tripartite Entente

Although any attempts at coordinated action will be hampered by historical rivalries and modern disagreements, Moscow and Tehran can still use the Ankara meeting to harm U.S. interests in Syria.

Apr 3, 2018

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Soner Cagaptay
Anna Borshchevskaya
Nader Uskowi

Brief Analysis

Tehran's Financial Woes Will Test U.S. Policy Resolve

Mike Pompeo and John Bolton will have ample opportunity to punish Iran through sanctions and other moves, but simply articulating clear, achievable U.S. goals could prove a formidable challenge.

Apr 3, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Brief Analysis

How Will Iran Prepare for Potential U.S. Withdrawal from the JCPOA?

Tehran seems to believe that President Trump will kill the deal next month, so it may start prepping its dormant nuclear facilities, sowing division between U.S. allies, or courting other global powers.

Apr 3, 2018

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Omer Carmi

Articles & Testimony

If Trump Walks Away from the Iran Deal, Tehran Will Win

Far from making Washington look tough, abandoning the JCPOA would ignore the real threat and empower Iran to continue seeking regional hegemony.

Apr 2, 2018

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Mismanagement Leaves Iran's Economy Vulnerable

Findings from a new IMF report imply that greater U.S. pressure would have considerable impact on the country's shock-prone economy.

Mar 30, 2018

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

Iranian Clergy Versus Democracy

With neither reform nor revolution likely to succeed in the near future, the Islamic Republic's essential flaws may become fatal.

Mar 29, 2018

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

A China-Pakistan Base Deal Could Put Iran on the Back Foot

Beijing's economic project in Gwadar Port and planned military presence in the Jiwani peninsula may wind up redrawing the region's geopolitical map.

Mar 27, 2018

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

Defeating Iran's Roadside Bombs in Yemen

To save lives and speed the war's end, the United States and UN should make urgent use of their expertise and evidence on countering advanced Iranian munitions.

Mar 26, 2018

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Trump's North Korea Talks Need to Address Syrian and Iranian Proliferation

When Pyongyang was able to cooperate freely with Middle Eastern regimes in the past, it built a clandestine nuclear reactor in Syria, so Washington cannot afford to turn a blind eye to such activity again.

Mar 22, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Articles & Testimony

In Search of Nuance in the Debate over Hezbollah's Criminal Enterprise and the U.S. Response

While a desire to protect the nuclear deal had some effect on the Obama administration's posture toward the group, interagency coordination problems were a much bigger factor.

Mar 20, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

MbS's Rebranding Exercise on Saudi Arabia and Hitler

The crown prince's recent remarks imply that the United States may not fully appreciate the threat posed by Iran, much like the international community's prewar attitude toward Nazi Germany.

Mar 20, 2018

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Expect Assad, Iran, and Russia to Exploit Trump's Cabinet Changes

The regime and its allies will probably try to peel away U.S. partners or take military action in vulnerable areas, so Washington should prepare to counter such efforts.

Mar 19, 2018

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

The Aim for Saudi Arabia and the US Must Be to Find a Common Game Plan

On key policy and business issues, Mohammed bin Salman represents a path for modernization in the kingdom.

Mar 18, 2018

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Dennis Ross

Multimedia

Brief Analysis

A Survey of the Near East: Implications for U.S. National Security

The national intelligence manager for the Near East discusses the post-ISIS 'peace dividend,' the intelligence facets of Syria's humanitarian crisis, the sectarian hurdles to Iraq's reconstruction, and more.

Mar 13, 2018

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David Cattler

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Moscow and the Middle East After Russia's Election

Washington and its partners can expect Putin to pursue an increasingly aggressive regional policy that depends on confrontation with the West as the basis for domestic legitimacy.

Mar 12, 2018

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Brief Analysis

Iraq's Energy Future Lies to the North

U.S. support for Iraqi oil export projects involving Turkey, the Gulf, and Europe can help keep undue Iranian influence at bay.

Mar 8, 2018

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James Jeffrey
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Iran's Reduced Naval Harassment in the Gulf Is Temporary and Tactical

The U.S. military should view the recent quiet as a short-term interlude in Tehran's longstanding doctrine of aggressive naval behavior.

Mar 7, 2018

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

The Source:

How Hacked Emails and a Yacht in Monaco Ended My Career at The Wall Street Journal

An inside look at the ways in which Iran and other governments use digital technologies to undermine the journalists reporting on them.

Mar 7, 2018

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Jay Solomon

Brief Analysis

How Europe Can Punish Iran's Missile Smuggling While Preserving the Nuclear Deal

The UN has publicly identified the Iranian companies involved in smuggling ballistic missiles into Yemen, so Europe should quit stalling and follow Washington's example by sanctioning these firms.

Feb 27, 2018

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Michael Knights
Katherine Bauer

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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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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Policy Analysis on Iran

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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