Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

What Would a Saudi-Iran War Look Like? Don't Look Now, But It Is Already Here

Even a short, sharp burst of direct military clashes would serve as a reminder to both sides of the overriding imperative to keep their conflict limited to the territories of unfortunate third parties.

Jan 11, 2016

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Pyongyang's Posturing: The Iranian Dimension

Just hours before Pyongyang claimed to have tested a hydrogen bomb, Iran unveiled another underground facility and showed off North Korean-designed long-range missiles.

Jan 6, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Saudis Are Rightly Concerned About Iran

Although creating further distance with the Saudis would be unwise, Riyadh still needs to see that U.S. security commitments are affected when it adds to conflicts rather than containing or resolving them.

Jan 5, 2016

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Dennis Ross

Discussing Recent Poll Results from the Middle East

An Egyptian analyst and a Washington Institute expert discuss the results and implications of the latest Institute polls conducted in the region, touching on the Syria war, Iran, perceptions of U.S. policy, and other pressing issues.

Jan 5, 2016

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David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Riyadh's Message Is to Washington as Well as Tehran

Unless the Obama administration demonstrates stronger resolve in responding to Iranian aggression, the Saudis and other Gulf monarchies will continue to take vigorous action of their own, likely in ways Washington finds unhelpful.

Jan 4, 2016

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Saudi-Iranian Diplomatic Crisis Threatens U.S. Policy

Washington must act promptly to prevent the execution of a Saudi Shiite leader and the Riyadh-Tehran diplomatic break from imperiling the fight against the Islamic State and the Iran nuclear accord.

Jan 4, 2016

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

U.S. Sanctions Delay Could Open Door for Iranian Weapons Violations

By backing off sanctions over Iran's ballistic missile test, the Obama administration has left the impression that, contrary to its repeated pledges, it may not enforce current sanctions or impose new ones should Tehran violate UN Security Council resolutions.

Jan 1, 2016

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

As Argentinian 'Truth Commission' Ends Before It Starts, Time to Investigate Iranian Agents

Now that it has averted a near travesty of justice, the new Argentinian government should allow credible investigators to further unravel Iran's role in the AMIA bombing and the years-long cover-up.

Dec 28, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

Sanctions Relief Is Not the Key to Iran's Economy

Rouhani's election pledge to improve the economy by resolving the nuclear issue is not working particularly well because of the many domestic policy challenges.

Dec 23, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers public remarks.

Articles & Testimony

The Risks of Inaction in the Face of Iranian Misbehavior

If Iran's disregard for Chapter VII measures and other international injunctions is ignored, it cannot be long before Tehran treats the nuclear deal the same way.

Dec 21, 2015

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Iranian and Hezbollah Operations in South America: Then and Now

Tehran and its main proxy have increased the tempo and scope of their malign activities on the continent, so Washington and its allies need to devote the requisite resources to countering what has become a clear and present danger.

Dec 16, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

The First Strict Implementation Test of the Iran Nuclear Deal

The latest meeting of the IAEA board of governors is an opportunity to bolster the investigative and disclosure mechanisms needed to deter Iran and other potential proliferators.

Dec 14, 2015

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Michael Singh
Simond de Galbert

Articles & Testimony

On Iran Sanctions, Mixed News -- and Warnings for Potential Investors

U.S. Treasury officials will no doubt remind their European hosts this week about the need to continue countering Iranian terror financing, but some officials and businesses may not want to hear the message.

Dec 9, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Articles & Testimony

Deterring Iran: Time for a New Mindset

As the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 goes into effect with the announcement of Implementation Day and the lifting of major international sanctions, the huge challenge of making it work still lies ahead for the international community. While the deal's prospects will primarily be determined by Western deterrence

Dec 9, 2015

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Michael Herzog

Brief Analysis

Iran's Widening Crackdown Pressures Rouhani

Despite endorsing the nuclear deal, the Supreme Leader has empowered the IRGC Intelligence Organization to tighten Iran's domestic political environment ahead of 2016 elections.

Nov 25, 2015

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Nima Gerami

In-Depth Reports

The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Religion, Expediency, and Soft Power in an Era of Disruptive Change

In Marine Corps University's expanded and revised 2015 edition of The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran, first published in 2011, author Michael Eisenstadt discusses Iran’s unique approach to statecraft, strategy, and the use of force, focusing on the following core elements: Policy in the theocratic Islamic Republic

Nov 23, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Brief Analysis

Putin Visits Iran

To reap the benefits and avert the dangers of Moscow's latest developments with Iran, Washington and Europe should adopt a strategy that allows them to cooperate on Syria and antiterrorism efforts, while continuing pressure on issues such as the Ukraine conflict and S-300 deliveries to Tehran.

Nov 20, 2015

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Brenda Shaffer

Articles & Testimony

Great Expectations: Iran After the Deal

Regardless of whether the nuclear deal succeeds or fails, Iranian society is undergoing substantial changes that make the Islamic Republic's longer-term future difficult to predict.

Nov 9, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Unfinished Business from the Iran Nuclear Debate

As the clock counts down to implementation, Washington needs to move quickly to correct the agreement's flaws and close its loopholes.

Nov 5, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

The Not-So-Great Game in Syria, and How to End It

Russia has greatly complicated an already-fraught situation by picking a fight with Syria's majority Sunni rebels and tripping into other regional players' spheres of influence.

Nov 4, 2015

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Andrew J. Tabler

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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