Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Maximal Exposure, Minimal Presence: Iran's Military Engagement in Iraq

Funeral notices and other information on Iran's combat fatalities in Iraq provide a useful window into Tehran's military strategy there, especially compared to its differing approach in Syria.

Aug 25, 2015

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Ali Alfoneh

Articles & Testimony

How to Put Some Teeth into the Nuclear Deal with Iran

Now is the time for the president to state clearly that if Iran dashes toward a weapon, especially after year 15 of the deal, it will trigger the use of force.

Aug 25, 2015

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Dennis Ross
David Petraeus

Articles & Testimony

Becoming Anti-American

Supreme Leader Khamenei once warned that animosity toward the United States could harm Iran, but this and other hardline positions eventually became core means to sustain his power.

Aug 24, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Will the Obama Administration Implement the Stringent Sanctions Authorized Under the Iran Agreement?

Even after the deal is in effect, the United States can sustain or increase tough barriers on Iran's trade with other countries, but this fact has not been highlighted by the president or his team.

Aug 21, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Rethinking U.S. Strategy for Intercepting Iranian Arms Transfers

Existing mechanisms for interdicting Iran's arms shipments to its proxies have already been proven insufficient, so any concerted effort to push back against the flow of weapons will require additional measures.

Aug 20, 2015

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Nadav Pollak

Articles & Testimony

No Room for Improvement

There are several potential reasons why the Obama administration is still insisting that the nuclear deal is perfect as is, and most of them are deeply problematic.

Aug 19, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

Iranian Moderates Face Tall Obstacles in 2016 Elections

Uncertainty over the nuclear deal's economic effects will make it difficult for moderates to win more votes, as will the hardliners' greater capacity to shape public opinion and the electoral process.

Aug 19, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers public remarks.

Brief Analysis

Why Khamenei's Official Approval of the Nuclear Deal Matters

If the Supreme Leader is able to continue his strategy of purposeful ambiguity by manipulating the media and parliament, the current deal could fall apart just as easily as past nuclear agreements.

Aug 17, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Answering Rob Eshman's Questions on the Iran Deal

The bottom line is that if lawmakers are concerned about the nuclear agreement's flaws and are hungry for the administration to take sensible measures to fix them, the limited downside of voting no is greatly exceeded by the benefits of 'a better deal.'

Aug 17, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Brief Analysis

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

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

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