Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

How Iran's Revived Weapons Exports Could Boost Its Proxies

Given Tehran's noncompliant track record and the UN Security Council's imperfect arms restrictions, the nuclear deal could allow Iran to offer its allies a growing range of weapons systems designed to increase survivability and lethality in asymmetric warfare scenarios.

Aug 17, 2015

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Farzin Nadimi

Video

The Regional Impact of a Post-Sanctions Windfall for Iran

The Washington Institute is studying the potential impacts of the Iran nuclear deal, including the effects of additional Iranian money from a post-sanctions windfall. Here are some of the most important impacts.

Aug 14, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt
Andrew J. Tabler
Matthew Levitt
Michael Knights
Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

There Is a Path to a Better Deal with Iran

Because a 'no' vote on the Iran deal would have little practical impact until next year, lawmakers have time to work with the president on making reasonable fixes to the agreement even if they disapprove it in the short term.

Aug 13, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Iran's Shifting Nuclear Narratives

Detailed accounts by top Iranian negotiators and Khamenei himself show that the initial nuclear overtures between Washington and Tehran began well before President Rouhani took office, yet the Supreme Leader still seems intent on ducking responsibility.

Aug 12, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Iran Debates the IAEA Roadmap

The Rouhani administration is insisting on the confidentiality of its 'roadmap' with the IAEA in order to quell domestic criticism of the JCPOA and bolster the nuclear program's security.

Aug 12, 2015

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Nima Gerami

Articles & Testimony

When Multilateralism Met Realism -- and Tried to Make an Iran Deal

If realist opponents of the Iran agreement insist that the JCPOA must go, they will need to explain in detail how the limited alternatives at Washington's disposal are worth the profound risks of killing the current deal.

Aug 11, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Clarifying a 'No' Vote on the Iran Nuclear Agreement

A congressional vote of disapproval would not necessarily be a deal breaker; in fact, it could give the administration time to improve the agreement or implement other policy measures that more effectively secure U.S. interests.

Aug 10, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

How Iran Plans to Destroy Israel

Tehran's commitment to surrounding, besieging, and eliminating the 'Zionist entity' has not changed, and countering this goal will require pushing back against Iranian advances in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and elsewhere.

Aug 10, 2015

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Ehud Yaari

Articles & Testimony

Iran's Claim to Their Cause, As Palestinians See It

Although Iran cannot be counted out as the long-term popular champion of the Palestinian cause, a new poll indicates that the Palestinian street is up for grabs.

Aug 7, 2015

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David Pollock
Ghaith al-Omari

Articles & Testimony

Implications of the JCPOA for U.S. Policy in the Middle East

The Institute's managing director testified before two Senate hearings to discuss the drawbacks of the current Iran agreement, the best means of addressing them, and the implications for U.S. policy if they are not fixed.

Aug 5, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Iran's Security Concerns and Legal Controversies Over the Nuclear Deal

The Supreme Leader has remained noncommittal as usual while politicians argue about the approval process, but his hardline cadres are publicly insisting that the deal will threaten Iran's national security, damage its regional standing, and increase the risk of armed confrontation.

Aug 5, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

The Implications of Sanctions Relief Under the Iran Agreement

Iran has worked hard to chip away at the international consensus on sanctions, and if the current nuclear terms are not clarified and bolstered, it will meet that goal.

Aug 5, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

In-Depth Reports

Assessing the Iran Nuclear Agreement and The Washington Institute’s Iran Study Group June 24 Policy Statement

Since the announcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), members of The Washington Institute’s Iran Study Group have met to assess the agreement’s relationship to the parameters outlined in the study group’s June 24 policy statement. Members of the study group have also benefited from several hours of

Aug 4, 2015

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Robert Satloff
Dennis Ross
James Jeffrey
David Makovsky
Patrick Clawson
Michael Eisenstadt
Simon Henderson

President Barack Obama speaks at the White House alongside Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry

Brief Analysis

Nuclear Deal or More? A Survey of Official U.S. Statements on the Iran Agreement

While the administration's statements are largely framed as realistic optimism about containing the nuclear program, some allies may worry that its comments on improving U.S.-Iranian relations are too aspirational.

Aug 4, 2015

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Patrick Schmidt

Brief Analysis

Shiite Combat Casualties Show the Depth of Iran's Involvement in Syria

In addition to Qods Force supervision of Shiite fighters from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries, the IRGC is deploying more of its own Ground Forces personnel to Syria in direct combat roles.

Aug 3, 2015

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Ali Alfoneh

Articles & Testimony

The Nuclear Deal with Iran: Regional Implications

While the agreement has a number of significant flaws, at least some can be rectified by various mitigation measures, provided the president is willing to commit to an effective implementation strategy.

Jul 29, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

Potential Regional Implications of the Iran Deal

The agreement does not clearly achieve its main objective of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, nor does it complement America's broader strategies regarding the Middle East and global nonproliferation.

Jul 29, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

The Regional Impact of Additional Iranian Money

A post-sanctions windfall would give Tehran ample capacity to rescue the Syrian regime, reshape Iraq's political environment, expand its terrorist proxy activities in various theaters, and otherwise amplify the effects of its destabilizing regional posture.

Jul 28, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt
Simon Henderson
Michael Knights
Matthew Levitt
Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Israel Confronts the Iran Nuclear Deal

Israelis fear that the deal will legitimize Iran as a nuclear threshold state, embolden its highly destabilizing role in a volatile Middle East, and trigger nuclear proliferation and a conventional arms race in the region.

Jul 24, 2015

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Michael Herzog

Articles & Testimony

The Risk in Lifting Sanctions, and Pressure, on Iran's Weapons Activities

Tehran's longstanding arms trafficking and missile research efforts highlight the problem with wholesale removal of weapons restrictions.

Jul 21, 2015

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Michael Singh

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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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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Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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