Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Articles & Testimony

Will Qatar's Diplomatic Exile Spark the Next Great War?

The Sunni Gulf powers have long been spoiling for a fight with Iran, and this could be just the excuse they need.

Jun 5, 2017

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Scramble for Eastern Syria

Washington's best option is to let the Assad regime expend its energy pushing out toward the Euphrates while preparing for the advance to stall, as it appears likely to do.

Jun 3, 2017

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Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Contain Iran? Fine, But Answer These Questions First

Whatever understandings the Trump administration reaches after the Islamic State is defeated, it needs to be clear about the stakes: if America does not stop the Iranians in Syria and Iraq, they will soon emerge as the region's dominant force.

Jun 1, 2017

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Iran Tweaks Gulf-Qatar Rift

A row has erupted among GCC heavyweights only days after President Trump left Riyadh, potentially undermining the agreed policy of containing Iran.

May 30, 2017

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

The Trump Effect in Bahrain

The latest crackdown by Bahraini security forces, which came two days after President Trump's friendly conversation with King Hamad, could raise tensions on the island and with Iran.

May 23, 2017

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

What To Expect After Iran's Election

The outcome is unlikely to bring much change to Tehran's foreign and security policy, but it will reveal how stable the Iranian system is when the powerful hardliners are decisively rejected by voters.

May 19, 2017

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Patrick Clawson
Nader Uskowi
Farzin Nadimi
Katherine Bauer

Brief Analysis

How Much Has the Trump Presidency Influenced Iran's Election?

As Iranians prepare to go to the polls, three experts discuss how the current campaign compares to past ones and what the outcome might mean for U.S. interests.

May 18, 2017

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Patrick Clawson
Nader Uskowi
Elham Gheytanchi

Brief Analysis

Arabian Rendezvous: What the President Can Achieve in Riyadh

Three Saudi summits in two days could provide powerful images of Washington's new relationship with the region, but key differences on terrorism, Iran, and Arab-Israeli peace will still need to be overcome.

May 17, 2017

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Simon Henderson

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, casts his vote for president

Articles & Testimony

Iran's Election Will Change Nothing

World leaders need to be clear-eyed about the false facade of Iranian democracy, focusing instead on the regime's chronic regional meddling, terror sponsorship, and human rights abuses.

May 16, 2017

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Dennis Ross
Jason Brodsky

Brief Analysis

Vanishing Islam in Iran's Election

With Islamic ideology losing its seductive influence, the only way to prolong the regime's life is to reform the economy -- a difficult prospect given the president's weakness and the continued interference of powerful, unaccountable entities.

May 16, 2017

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Mini-Hizballahs, Revolutionary Guard Knock-Offs, and the Future of Iran's Militant Proxies in Iraq

There is still time to offset the gains that Iran’s proxies have made in the past three years, but only if Baghdad continues resisting the creation of a permanent, well-funded security institution that operates outside the Iraqi chain of command.

May 9, 2017

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Michael Knights
Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

Trump's Plan to Arm Kurds Lays Bare the Strategic Vacuum in Syria

The administration's plan to retake Raqqa from the Islamic State could further inflame tensions with Turkey and Iran.

May 9, 2017

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Iran's Presidential Election: The Clergy's Political Irrelevance

As clerics are pushed ever further to the political margins, the regime will need to double down on its current strategy: relying more on security measures than spiritual authorities to ensure its survival.

May 5, 2017

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Iran's Presidential Election: The Economic Situation

Despite some positive growth indicators, Rouhani faces an uphill struggle to convince voters that his economic plan is truly best for them.

May 3, 2017

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Patrick Clawson

Video

Inside Iran's 2017 Election: Economics, Politics, and National Security

In this short video, Institute scholars explain the economic, security, and political dynamics shaping Iran's 2017 presidential election and the future of Iranian policy.

May 3, 2017

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Patrick Clawson
Nader Uskowi
Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Iran's Ambitions in the Levant

A closer look at how Tehran plans to build (and hold onto) dual land corridors stretching across Iraq and Syria toward the Mediterranean.

May 1, 2017

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Ehud Yaari

Brief Analysis

Iran's Presidential Election: Balancing Diplomacy and Confrontation

Washington's working relations with the next president should not preclude it from leading the fight against the IRGC's missile proliferation and regional militancy.

May 1, 2017

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Nader Uskowi

Articles & Testimony

The Other Green Movement: Renewable Energy's Prospects in Iran

Greater reliance on green technology for domestic energy needs would allow Tehran to sell more oil and gas abroad, address the population's growing concerns about pollution, and fulfill its international climate commitments.

Apr 27, 2017

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Emily Burlinghaus

Articles & Testimony

Common Threats Offer New Opportunities for Israel-GCC Cooperation

The Trump administration should treat the Gulf's quiet security coordination with Israel as a chance to counter Iranian and jihadist threats in the region, perhaps even parlaying it into progress on the Palestinian issue.

Apr 26, 2017

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Dennis Ross

Fikra Forum

Regional Consequences of Trump's Travel Ban

On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, indefinitely prohibiting all Syrian refugees from entering the United States and banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen. The executive order unleashed a storm of criticism

Apr 20, 2017

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Mohamed Abdelaziz

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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Policy Analysis on Iran

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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