Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Public Statement on U.S. Policy Toward the Iran Nuclear Negotiations

Endorsed by a Bipartisan Group of American Diplomats, Legislators, Policymakers, and Experts

Over the last three years, members of this bipartisan group have convened regularly under the auspices of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy to discuss the status of the Iran nuclear issue, frequently benefitting from the input of current Administration officials. Last week, at its most recent meeting, the

Jun 24, 2015

Articles & Testimony

In Iran Nuclear Talks, Sharpening Consequences of Failure Is Critical

Michael Singh and Simond de Galbert

Jun 23, 2015

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Don't Let the Deadline Drive the Deal

To get the best nuclear pact with Iran, Washington might have to let the June 30 target slide.

Jun 19, 2015

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Behind the 'Non-Flub' on Iran's Weaponization Program

The Obama administration appears to be walking back from a full accounting of Tehran's nuclear weaponization efforts, leaving ample room for further clandestine research and weakening a central pillar of the global nonproliferation regime.

Jun 19, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

Findings from the State Department's Annual Terrorism Report (Part 1):

Hezbollah and Iran

Contrary to recent intelligence assessments by other agencies, the State Department's latest report documents Hezbollah and Iran's ongoing, deep involvement in terrorist activities.

Jun 19, 2015

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Matthew Levitt
Kelsey Segawa

Brief Analysis

Judging Whether the Iran Deal Is Acceptable

In the nuclear negotiations, Tehran wants to have its cake and eat it too by obtaining sanctions relief while preserving the option to build a nuclear weapon in the future; the U.S. goal must be to deny Iran this capability.

Jun 18, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

How to Make Sure Iran's One-Year Nuclear Breakout Time Does Not Shrink

The final deal needs to specify the total enrichment capacity of Iran's installed centrifuges, mandate a robust verification regime, and include other restrictions to the nuclear program's size and content.

Jun 17, 2015

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Olli Heinonen
Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Iran Seen from Beijing

China views Iran as a central element in its much-touted Silk Road Economic Belt, which aims to extend Beijing's influence overland through Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and Europe.

Jun 11, 2015

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Kevjn Lim

Articles & Testimony

An Opportunity, and Lesson, in Negotiating With Iran

A foreign policy fracas erupted last week when an Obama administration official slammed a New York Times story asserting that growth in Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium–reported in an International Atomic Energy Agency update on Tehran’s compliance with its international obligations–presented an obstacle to negotiations over a U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement

Jun 9, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Have International Sanctions Crippled Iran's Auto Industry?

The major industry has been better prepared than expected, but it still suffers from lack of liquidity and sluggish growth due to banking restrictions and other inefficiencies.

Jun 3, 2015

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Nahid Kalbasi

Video

Brief Analysis

Iranian Influence in Iraq: Between Balancing and Hezbollahzation?

Three Iraq experts probe the rising influence of Shiite militias -- many backed by Iran -- on Iraq's security and political landscapes.

Jun 1, 2015

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Michael Knights
Phillip Smyth
Ahmed Ali

Brief Analysis

Khamenei's Nuclear Instructions: Public Versus Private

Leaked statements indicate that the Supreme Leader's private views on nuclear compromise are more flexible than his tough public posture, so the negotiators may be able to ignore his stated redlines on inspections.

May 26, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

A Policy to Defeat Both ISIL and Iran

The Middle East state system is under relentless pressure, and preserving it will require a long-term vision for shoring up U.S. allies, rolling back ISIL, and countering the Iranians.

May 26, 2015

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Samuel Berger
Stephen Hadley
James Jeffrey
Dennis Ross
Robert Satloff

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivers public remarks.

Brief Analysis

No Voice of Reconciliation: Khamenei Targets the West

The Supreme Leader's latest statements, harping on "unreasonable" demands, are not preparing the Iranian public for compromise.

May 21, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Taking Advantage of the Fall of Ramadi

An Iraqi journalist explains why resolving the political causes underlying the expansion of ISIS is just as important as combating the group militarily.

May 20, 2015

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Ali Alnaemi

In-Depth Reports

Deterring an Iranian Nuclear Breakout

Whether or not the P5+1 and Tehran reach a nuclear deal, deterring an Iranian breakout, most likely at clandestine sites, will remain a core U.S. imperative for the foreseeable future. Although the U.S. intelligence community has a strong record of detecting clandestine nuclear programs, it has often failed to correctly

May 20, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Brief Analysis

Iranian and Hezbollah Threats to Saudi Arabia: Past Precedents

Given Tehran and Hezbollah's long history of targeting Saudi interests, their recent implicit threats to the kingdom should be taken seriously.

May 19, 2015

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Matthew Levitt

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, gestures while speaking

Brief Analysis

Yemen War Heats Up Iran's Anti-Saudi Rhetoric

The Islamic Republic views the Yemen conflict as another battlefield in its proxy struggle with Saudi Arabia, spurring Iranian government, media, and religious figures to open a war of words in recent weeks.

May 18, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Responding to Iranian Naval Aggression in the Persian Gulf

The latest provocation reinforces the need for any nuclear agreement with Iran to include strong enforcement mechanisms and swift and severe penalties for cheating.

May 15, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Managing the U.S.-Gulf Disconnect at Camp David

President Obama should give full credence to Gulf perceptions of a direct threat from Tehran.

May 12, 2015

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Lori Plotkin Boghardt

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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