Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

How Should the New U.S. President Play the "Kurdish Card" in the Middle East?

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States administration divided the world conceptually into good and evil blocs, with most of the evil blocs located in the Middle East. Pushing al-Qaeda out, toppling the Taliban in Afghanistan, and overthrowing the Ba’ath regime in Iraq further inspired the White House

Jan 10, 2017

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Frzand Sherko

Brief Analysis

Rafsanjani's Death Could Increase the IRGC's Succession Role

Unlike in 1989, the Revolutionary Guards and other powerful Iranian institutions will probably play an outsize role in determining and influencing the next Supreme Leader, especially now that another major revolutionary figure has passed away.

Jan 9, 2017

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

The Latest Ceasefire Will Not Change Hezbollah's Role in Syria

Iran and Russia may find a way to push past their strategic differences and make the ceasefire work, but it will be much more difficult to forge agreements on Syria's other intractable issues at the upcoming peace conference.

Jan 6, 2017

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Hanin Ghaddar

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Assad Needs 'Useless Syria' Too

Eastern Syria holds major hydrocarbon and agricultural resources that make it a vital asset in Assad's quest for regime self-sufficiency, and a potentially powerful source of U.S. leverage against him.

Jan 4, 2017

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Fabrice Balanche

Putin Praises Trump, Downplays Arms Race

The Washington Institute's Anna Borshchevskaya and Cipher Brief's Leone Lakhani review Moscow's 2016 track record on the Syria war, Iran, and other Middle East-related issues.

Dec 23, 2016

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Anna Borshchevskaya

Articles & Testimony

What Should Trump Do About Syria?

Establishing safe zones, pursuing a tougher line of negotiation with Russia, and limiting Iran's destabilizing presence are the best ways of addressing the country's de facto partition.

Dec 22, 2016

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Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

What's at Stake for Lebanon's New Government?

The heavy presence of pro-Iranian and pro-Syrian ministers is troubling, but Hariri and his allies can still preserve Lebanon's sovereignty by pushing for a balanced electoral law and a timely parliamentary ballot.

Dec 21, 2016

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Hanin Ghaddar

Articles & Testimony

Will Trump Strengthen Iran's Hand?

The Trump administration cannot say it is going to be tougher on Iran and at the same time partner with Russia in Syria -- the two goals are mutually exclusive under the current circumstances.

Dec 21, 2016

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Dennis Ross

Fikra Forum

Sympathy for the Devil: Why Iran's Leaders Should See Reflections of Themselves in Israel

If Iranian leaders want to advance a world governed by the relative justice of international law, which however imperfect is better than a world in which "the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must", they will have to cede the same implicit claims of exceptionalism that they loathe the U.S. and Israel for.

Dec 20, 2016

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Thomas Buonomo

Brief Analysis

Iran's Basij Mull a Wider Domestic and Regional Role

In addition to expanding and professionalizing their traditional roles at home, Basij paramilitary forces are poised to assume a larger share of the fighting in Syria alongside Iran's foreign militia proxies.

Dec 20, 2016

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Independent Intel Key to U.S. Diplomacy

Tensions between the White House and the intelligence community are nothing new, but enough damage has already been done to elevate this problem to the Trump administration's A-list.

Dec 14, 2016

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

The Battle for Mosul and Iran's Regional Reach

Absent preventive measures, the Mosul campaign could increase Tehran's regional influence and embolden its proxies to act against U.S. forces in Iraq.

Dec 5, 2016

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Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Responding to Iran's Arms Smuggling in Yemen

Tehran is ramping up its sanction-busting military support to the Houthis, necessitating a coordinated international response to close off Red Sea access to antigovernment forces.

Dec 2, 2016

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Iran May Be Using Iraq and Syria as a Bridge to Lebanon

While liberating territory from the Islamic State is vital, the consequences of ceding portions of Iraq and Syria to de facto Iranian control could be just as dire as leaving them in jihadist hands.

Nov 23, 2016

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Iran and China Are Strengthening Their Military Ties

Amid uncertainties about the incoming U.S. administration's approach to the Middle East and the nuclear deal, Tehran and Beijing appear to be entering a new era in their strategic partnership, including the potential transfer of advanced weapon systems down the road.

Nov 22, 2016

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Shiite Militias Are Crashing the Mosul Offensive

Pro-Iranian brigades are looking to settle old grudges in a notorious town near the Islamic State's Iraqi stronghold.

Nov 18, 2016

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Michael Knights
Matthew Schweitzer

Articles & Testimony

Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen

If the United States more openly addressed the wider strategic threat posed by Iran's role in Yemen, it could convince its allies in the Saudi-led coalition to modify their controversial military tactics, reduce civilian suffering, and support a serious peace effort.

Nov 17, 2016

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James Jeffrey

Video

Brief Analysis

A New President and the Middle East

How will the election's outcome shape the direction of U.S. Middle East policy, and how do America's friends in the region view the prospect of a new administration? Read or watch a conversation between leading Middle Eastern journalists and U.S. policy experts.

Nov 15, 2016

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Jamal Khashoggi
Jumana Ghunaimat
David Horovitz
Norman Ornstein
Dennis Ross

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

The Role of Missiles in Iran's Military Strategy

Iran's missile force could double or triple in size by the time the major limits imposed by the nuclear deal are supposed to be lifted, so any attempts to improve on the JCPOA should address Iran's missile program as well.

Nov 10, 2016

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Michael Eisenstadt

In-Depth Reports

Beyond Syria and Iraq:

Examining Islamic State Provinces

As an idea, the Islamic State has gone global, attracting far more foreign terrorist fighters than all previous jihadist conflicts combined. But as a so-called state or "caliphate," how successful has it really been at expanding its global footprint through the establishment of "provinces" around the world? And what will

Nov 9, 2016

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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