Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Why Iran Is More Dangerous Than the Islamic State

Arabs and Israelis are in the same boat, facing Iranian-backed threats all around them and yearning for Western leadership on how best to roll back the regime's destabilizing policies.

Sep 29, 2016

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Moshe Yaalon

Brief Analysis

Turkey's Rewarming Ties with Iran

The two countries appear to be compartmentalizing their shared and divergent interests in Syria and Iraq, but such an approach is highly vulnerable to unexpected military incidents and other factors.

Sep 29, 2016

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Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

What Trump and Clinton Said (and Didn't Say) About the Middle East

With a few exceptions, the candidates focused more on debating the past than offering ideas and prescriptions for today's Middle East challenges.

Sep 27, 2016

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Iran's 'Resistance Economy' -- and Stalled Reform Efforts

Rather than honoring its pledge to comply with international norms on money laundering and terrorist finance, Iran may point to two prominent banks in particular as safe spaces for Western engagement.

Sep 23, 2016

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Matthew Levitt
Katherine Bauer

Multimedia

Middle East 2017: Challenges and Choices with Amb. James Jeffrey

There's no stopping Iranian ambitions if Moscow has Tehran's back, warns Ambassador James Jeffrey, unless the United States is prepared to "get real" about its Middle East engagement in the next presidential administration. The former American ambassador to Iraq and to Turkey, Jeffrey explains the importance of setting, and upholding

Sep 22, 2016

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Clinton vs. Trump on Key Middle East Issues: Prepping for the Debate

Read what both candidates and their parties have said about Syria, ISIS, the Iran nuclear deal, U.S.-Israel relations, and host of other pressing regional issues.

Sep 22, 2016

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

What Will Year Two of Russia's Syria Intervention Bring?

Moscow and Iran are already several steps ahead of Washington in shaping the war's potential endgame, so the next administration will need to be mindful of Putin's likeliest strategies and strongest levers if it wants a different outcome.

Sep 14, 2016

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Fabrice Balanche

Video

Brief Analysis

U.S.-Iran Competition: Prospects and Limits of Cooperation

Three experts discuss whether the contentious history of U.S.-Iranian relations stems more from unrealistic American expectations and missed opportunities, or from the Islamic Republic's strategic decision to oppose Washington's interests.

Sep 13, 2016

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Jay Solomon
James Dobbins
Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Iran's Ideological Exploitation of the Hajj

The massive, unregulated apparatus that the Supreme Leader has established to oversee Shiite activities during the Hajj is an essential tool in Tehran's efforts to export the Islamic Revolution and disseminate anti-Western sentiment.

Sep 12, 2016

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Mehdi Khalaji

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Deterring Iranian Provocations at Sea

In light of Iran's more assertive naval posture in the Persian Gulf, the otherwise commendable restraint demonstrated by the U.S. Navy may risk bringing about the very kind of unintended maritime incident Washington is trying to avoid.

Sep 12, 2016

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Jeremy Vaughan

Iran Cannot Be a Partner in the Struggle Against ISIS

In this in-depth interview, the veteran advisor and peace envoy discusses the regional consequences of the Iran nuclear deal and the possibility of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian arena.

Sep 11, 2016

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Obama Team Makes Defensible Actions on Iran Look Suspicious

If administration officials would simply explain their Iran decisions from the start rather than waiting for inevitable media leaks, they could ensure that any new revelations are small news items, not the subject of page one stories or congressional inquiries.

Sep 8, 2016

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Iran's 'Useful Syria' Is Practically Complete

Helping the Assad regime establish full control in Damascus is only one part of Iran's plan to create a regional Shiite crescent, and any ceasefire plan that furthers such goals could spark wider sectarian conflict.

Sep 8, 2016

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Holy War of Words: Growing Saudi-Iranian Tensions

Relations between Riyadh and Tehran are in a downward spiral, raising the urgent need for a U.S. and international response.

Sep 7, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Non-Iranian Shiites Paying the Price in Aleppo

The costly siege has spurred Iran to withdraw or relocate certain IRGC units, but this is unlikely to hurt the Assad coalition's strategy in Aleppo so long as Hezbollah and other Shiite militias remain willing to fight there.

Aug 31, 2016

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Ali Alfoneh

Articles & Testimony

Vladimir Putin and the Shiite Axis

Russia's military alliance with Iran is all about keeping Assad in power and America on its back foot, and even a short-lived partnership can do long-term damage to U.S. interests.

Aug 30, 2016

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Anna Borshchevskaya

In-Depth Reports

The Rise of ISIL:

Counterterrorism Lectures 2015

As authorities scramble to prepare for the ways in which the Islamic State threat will continue to evolve, many lessons can be learned by looking at the factors that led to its rise. This seventh volume of Counterterrorism Lectures traces ISIL's evolution during 2015.

Aug 29, 2016

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Matthew Levitt

◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series

Brief Analysis

Iran's Aggressive Naval Intercepts Serve Foreign and Domestic Purposes

The IRGC will likely continue using such incidents as a way to signal its domestic rivals, justify its large budget, and meet other goals, so Washington should remain vigilant and consider seeking an official channel for emergency communications.

Aug 26, 2016

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

Hezbollah’s Pivot Toward the Gulf

While Hezbollah's next war with Israel seems inevitable in the long term, recent events and rhetoric suggest that the group and its Iranian patron will focus on targeting Saudi interests in the meantime.

Aug 22, 2016

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Iran's Afghan and Pakistani Proxies: In Syria and Beyond?

As part of its renewed effort to export the Islamic Revolution through armed proxies, Tehran has been recruiting and training Afghan and Pakistani fighters for Syria's battlefields, thereby giving them invaluable experience for potential future campaigns in other regional countries.

Aug 22, 2016

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Farzin Nadimi

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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