Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Iran’s New Budget Perpetuates Economic Challenges

The president is proposing de facto cuts to salaries and subsidies as well as more money for the military, while avoiding the tough reforms Iran’s economy needs.

Jan 12, 2023

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Henry Rome

Israeli prime minister Natanyahu and U.S. president Biden in Jerusalem in 2021 - Source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Netanyahu’s Potential Friction Points with Biden (Part 2): Iran, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Domestic Issues

The prime minister will need a great deal of U.S. military and diplomatic assistance to achieve his foreign policy imperatives—a fact he should not forget when mulling potentially divisive moves at home.

Jan 10, 2023

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David Makovsky

Russian President Putin and Iranian President Raisi meet in Tehran in 2022 - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Making Iran’s Support for Russia More Costly

To foster doubts about the wisdom of deepening the relationship, Washington should stoke longstanding Iranian skepticism toward Russia and work with Europe to sanction additional entities involved in the drone program.

Jan 5, 2023

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Henry Rome

Fikra Forum

Iranian Counterculture and Gen Z

Decades of underground counterculture have led to an informed and interconnected youth in Iran, now eager for freedom and change.

Jan 4, 2023

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Arash Aalaei

Brief Analysis

Deepening Russia-Iran Relationship Should Worry Israel

The Kremlin will have many ways to thank Iran for supporting its war against Ukraine.

Dec 28, 2022

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Nadav Pollak

Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.

Brief Analysis

Assessing Xi Jinping’s Middle East Trip

His discussions on nuclear proliferation, energy markets, defense cooperation, and other issues offered numerous contrasts with President Biden’s summer meetings in Saudi Arabia—as well as some unexpected criticism of Iran.

Dec 22, 2022

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Grant Rumley
Carol Silber
Eric Feely
Sarah Cahn
Sude Akgundogdu
Lauren von Thaden
Faris Almaari

Private Sean Rooney, an Irish soldier killed while serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon - source: Government of the Republic of Ireland

Brief Analysis

Expect More Violence If Hezbollah Isn’t Held Accountable for Murdering an Irish Soldier

Whether the group is pulling the trigger itself or inciting others to do so, its brazen disregard for Lebanese civil authority, international law, and Israeli redlines has reached a new low.

Dec 20, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar

Video

Brief Analysis

Iran's Nuclear Proliferation Strategy: U.S. Policy Options

Three experts discuss how Washington might feasibly attempt to steer Tehran away from actively pursuing nuclear weapons.

Dec 16, 2022

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Michael Eisenstadt
Mahsa Rouhi
Suzanne Maloney

Fikra Forum

Perpetrators of Stephen Troell’s Killing in Baghdad Remain Unknown

The circumstances surrounding Troell's death in November clearly indicate that the murder is tied to political infighting and the ongoing issue of armed militias in Iraq.

Dec 15, 2022

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Mohanad Faris

A Lebanese protester holds a sign denouncing Iranian influence

Articles & Testimony

Iran Occupies Lebanon via Proxy, But the Lebanese Still Have Agency

Although not much can be done about disarming Hezbollah at the moment, any serious Western policy will need to focus on sanctioning the group’s domestic political enablers while engaging and protecting its Shia opponents.

Dec 13, 2022

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Hanin Ghaddar

Kurdish protesters killed by the Iranian regime

Video

Brief Analysis

Kurds Against the Iranian Regime: Internal and Regional Implications

Activists and experts discuss what Washington can do to curb Tehran’s violent campaigns against Kurdish populations at home and next door in Iraq.

Dec 13, 2022

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Abdullah Mohtadi
Shukriya Bradost
David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Human Rights Sanctions on Iran Need More Coordination and Creativity

Several countries have rapidly imposed new sanctions in response to the regime’s repression of peaceful protests, but they should do more to harmonize and expand these actions.

Dec 9, 2022

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Henry Rome

Brief Analysis

Violence in Iran’s Uprising: What Happens If Either Side Escalates?

The regime still has additional means of making the crackdown even more lethal, and parts of the country are potentially primed to take up arms in response, with uncertain consequences on the ground.

Dec 8, 2022

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Farzin Nadimi
Patrick Clawson

Fikra Forum

The Regional Impact of Iran’s Drones in Ukraine

Russia's use of Iranian drones in Ukraine foreshadows potentially dangerous developments for U.S. forces and their allies in the Middle East.

Dec 7, 2022

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Omar Alradad

Fikra Forum

Iran Team’s Ambivalent Approach to Protests During the World Cup

Iran's loss at the World Cup coincides with controversy and tensions both back home and around the globe.

Dec 2, 2022

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S. Houseini

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

Brief Analysis

Khamenei Focusing on “External Threats,” Not Protest Demands

In an attempt to rally Iranians around the flag, his latest speech fixated on “Western plots,” indicating that he has no imminent plans to make significant concessions to protesters.

Dec 2, 2022

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Omer Carmi

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Kataib Hezbollah and Kaf Celebrate Attacks on Americans

The militia's media channel has been praising past Iranian-aided terrorist acts that killed and wounded U.S. military personnel in Iraq—and linking them to current activities.

Nov 30, 2022

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Michael Knights
Aya Yousuf
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Fikra Forum

The Tenacity of Young Iranians in the Protest Movement

Despite the regime's crackdown, Iranian protestors are showing unprecedented resilience and unity in their demands, making the international community's next steps even more crucial.

Nov 29, 2022

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Haleh Esfandiari

An Iranian soccer fan protests at a World Cup game in Qatar - source: Reuters

Brief Analysis

Team Melli vs. Team USA: Iran’s Game of Contradictions

The regime’s often-hypocritical handling of this year’s World Cup comes to a head with a matchup against the United States, and a political victory seems unattainable regardless of the results on the field.

Nov 29, 2022

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Mehdi Khalaji

Eisenstadt monograph cover; U.S. "Plumbbob Hood" nuclear weapons test, 1957

Maps & Graphics

In-Depth Reports

Iran's Nuclear Hedging Strategy:

Shaping the Islamic Republic's Proliferation Calculus

Tehran’s willingness to pause aspects of its nuclear program may offer opportunities to stoke regime concerns about the potential costs of moving forward.

Nov 29, 2022

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Michael Eisenstadt

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

Patrick Clawson

Patrick Clawson is Morningstar senior fellow and director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Mehdi Khalaji

Mehdi Khalaji, a Qom-trained Shiite theologian, is the Libitzky Family Fellow at The Washington Institute.

Henry Rome

Henry Rome is a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, specializing in Iran sanctions, economic, and nuclear issues.

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Policy Analysis on Iran

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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