Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Iran's Potential Military Reactions to New U.S. Sanctions

Tehran could back up its defiant rhetoric by deploying air defense assets to Syria, establishing an asymmetric naval presence in the Mediterranean, smuggling more arms to the Houthis, and stepping up its ballistic missile program.

Nov 7, 2017

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Farzin Nadimi

Maps & Graphics

Infographic: Iran Deal 'Decertification'

A quick guide to understanding the background, context, and potential impact of President Trump's decision not to certify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in one concise infographic.

Nov 6, 2017

Brief Analysis

North Korea's Alliance with Syria Reveals a Wider Proliferation Threat

The longstanding cooperation between the two regimes seems to have intensified during Syria's war, with troubling implications for future missile, chemical, and even nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Nov 2, 2017

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Jay Solomon

Articles & Testimony

The Electronic Republic

A bustling Iranian tech sector will likely continue to draw foreign interest despite the threat of renewed U.S. sanctions.

Oct 31, 2017

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Emily Burlinghaus

Brief Analysis

Trump Placing Heavy Focus on Yemen in the Campaign to Counter Iran

Given the maritime and missile threats posed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, senior U.S. officials have indicated that the White House will continue expanding its assistance to the Saudi-led coalition.

Oct 20, 2017

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Jay Solomon

In-Depth Reports

Deconstructing and Countering the Iran Threat Network

Omer Carmi, a lead researcher with the Israel Defense Forces, analyzes the components of the Iran Threat Network and builds a compelling case for neutralizing harmful Iranian activity in the region and beyond.

Oct 16, 2017

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Omer Carmi

Articles & Testimony

Here's How to Fix But Not Nix the Iran Deal

After decertifying the JCPOA, President Trump now has leverage to negotiate a better agreement.

Oct 13, 2017

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Iran's Military Sites Continue to Haunt the Nuclear Accord

Given the IAEA's legal uncertainty about Parchin and the Security Council's discord about further inspections, the Trump administration needs to decide how hard to press for more answers on weaponization issues.

Oct 12, 2017

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Jay Solomon

Articles & Testimony

Confronting the Full Range of Iranian Threats

In practical terms, scrapping and replacing the JCPOA is a nonstarter, so the administration should instead focus on countering Iran as its top regional priority -- and decide how it will respond when Tehran pushes back.

Oct 11, 2017

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Iran Flexes Its Muscles After the Kurdish Referendum

Given its recent military movements and high-level contacts with Turkey and Baghdad, Iran may be looking to exact an intolerable cost on the KRG.

Oct 10, 2017

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

JCPOA Under the Gun (Part 2): A Middle Course?

The threat of decertifying the nuclear deal gives the administration an opening with those who wish to preserve it, so the president should use this leverage wisely rather than taking an all-or-nothing approach.

Oct 6, 2017

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Katherine Bauer
Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

Decertifying the Iran Deal Wouldn't Have to Kill It

European leaders surely do not want the U.S. to walk away from the JCPOA. But their room to maneuver is politically limited, given Mr. Trump's unpopularity in their countries. Responding to the White House on Iran will prove difficult for them unless Mr. Trump changes his tone and emphasizes that

Oct 6, 2017

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

JCPOA Under the Gun (Part 1): Trump's Five Decisions

Any U.S. pushback against the nuclear deal with Iran will carry consequences, along with potential side benefits, but some courses of action could be more self-defeating than others.

Oct 6, 2017

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Are Shia Dynamics in Iraq and Lebanon Turning Against Iran?

If Iraqi Shia reject Tehran's call for a unified bloc in next year's elections, it could have welcome implications for the future of Iranian influence in Baghdad -- and Beirut.

Oct 5, 2017

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Hanin Ghaddar

Articles & Testimony

Iran's Shadow over Lebanon

Beirut's tilt toward Tehran has dangerous implications when it comes to countering Sunni radicalization.

Oct 4, 2017

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

How to Contain and Roll Back Iranian-Backed Militias

A six-step plan that can help U.S. officials actively counter Tehran's efforts to deploy its inexpensive proxy forces throughout the Middle East.

Oct 4, 2017

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Survey: Qatari Public Wants Compromise, Not Iran's Help

The findings strongly suggest that, to maintain his popularity, the emir should seek a middle-ground exit from Qatar's standoff with other Arab states.

Oct 2, 2017

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

The Urgent U.S. Role in Post-Referendum Kurdistan

The Iraqi Kurds have angered their neighbors, but imminent punitive measures could quickly strengthen Iran and disrupt the campaign against the Islamic State.

Sep 29, 2017

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Iran's New Ballistic Missile May Have North Korean ICBM Links

The recent reveal indicates strong technical cooperation with Pyongyang, raising concerns that Iran might be on the path to developing a nuclear-capable ICBM down the road.

Sep 27, 2017

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Tehran Seeks to Consolidate Power in Iraq in 2018

Iran wants its local allies to create a Shia political bloc or Hezbollah-like arrangement next door, but Washington can curb such ambitions so long as it does not repeat its vanishing trick of 2011.

Sep 24, 2017

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Michael Knights

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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Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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