Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

China and Mideast Leverage: Hiding in Plain Sight

Washington still has good cards to play in terms of Iran’s destabilizing activities, the U.S. security umbrella over Gulf energy supplies, and Arab public opinion toward China and America.

Oct 22, 2021

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David Pollock

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Militia Propaganda Around the Attack on al-Tanf

Iraqi militia actors appear to have had forewarning of the attack, reflecting an increasing focus on anti-coalition operations in Syria.

Oct 22, 2021

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Crispin Smith

◆ Militia Spotlight

Articles & Testimony

Discordance in the Iran Threat Network in Iraq: Militia Competition and Rivalry

Hardline groups are struggling to satisfy demands for action against American forces while simultaneously de-escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and evolving their non-kinetic wings.

Oct 21, 2021

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Michael Knights
Crispin Smith
Hamdi Malik

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Iraqi Militias Show Off Iranian Anti-Air Missile

Iran-backed resistance groups are seemingly staging missile "discoveries" as a way of warning off coalition air forces.

Oct 21, 2021

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Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

Articles & Testimony

While Washington Argues, Iran Makes Nuclear Advances

A closer look at the technical progress being made under the country’s new nuclear chief—and his potential links with the Pakistani scientist who first gave Tehran weaponization know-how.

Oct 15, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

What AQ Khan’s Diaries Tell About Pakistan’s Drive for a Nuclear Bomb

The custodian of the infamous scientist’s four-decade-long journal offers new insights into his proliferation role and relationship with Pakistani military authorities.

Oct 12, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

The Hoquq Candidates: Kataib Hezbollah’s Aspiring Parliamentarians

Hoquq is competing head-to-head with other "resistance" factions in key Shia constituencies, especially Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

Sep 30, 2021

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Michael Knights

◆ Militia Spotlight

Promo photo for the U.S. Navy's new Task Force 59.

Brief Analysis

New Navy Task Force Aims to Deter Iran with Unmanned Systems

The high-tech force will explore human-machine teaming concepts in waters near Iran, but questions remain about whether the United States is prepared to defend those assets when necessary.

Sep 17, 2021

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

Iranian Membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Motivations and Implications

The Russian/Chinese-led bloc is expected to approve Iran’s accession this week amid uncertainty over President Raisi’s foreign posture and ongoing turmoil in Afghanistan.

Sep 15, 2021

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Nicole Grajewski

Brief Analysis

Sistani vs. the Militias: The Future of Iraqi Sovereignty

The international community needs to pay more attention to developments in Najaf, where Sistani-backed groups are forcefully pushing back against Iran but still face the longer-term question of who will continue his message.

Sep 14, 2021

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Hamdi Malik

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Proxies in Iraq Undertake the World's Only Terrorist Attack Commemorating 9/11

Two drones were intercepted in a mission that Sabereen News dedicated to “reminding the Americans of the September 11 attacks."

Sep 14, 2021

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Michael Knights
Crispin Smith
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: Badr Organization

Badr is the wellspring of many of today's armed resistance groups and still operates under the indirect and sometimes direct control of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Sep 2, 2021

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Michael Knights
Crispin Smith
Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Profile: The Iraqi Radio and Television Union

An overview of Iraq's offshoot of the Islamic Radio and Television Union, an Iranian umbrella group that provides support to "resistance" media outlets.

Sep 2, 2021

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Hamdi Malik

◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles

Brief Analysis

Last Call for Gaza?

Proposing an Alternative to Israeli-Palestinian “Conflict Management”

With Iran looming ever larger as Israel’s top security priority, the window for breaking the dangerous cycle of ceasefire and conflagration with the Palestinians may be closing—unless all of the actors are willing to throw their weight behind a fresh “4x4” strategy.

Aug 30, 2021

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Dror Shalom

Photo showing Taliban fighters outside Kabul Airport, August 2021.

Video

Brief Analysis

From Afghanistan to the Middle East:

Implications of the U.S. Withdrawal and Taliban Victory

Three Institute scholars discuss the fallout from Kabul, with special focus on the consequences for global jihadism, Iranian policy, and regional responses.

Aug 26, 2021

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Kathryn Wheelbarger
Aaron Y. Zelin
Patrick Clawson

Brief Analysis

Bennett Meets Biden: Resetting the Tone and Discussing Differences

The two leaders have been looking forward to an upbeat summit, but the test will be if they can establish trust and work through their differences on thorny regional issues.

Aug 25, 2021

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David Makovsky

Articles & Testimony

Biden Will Discover Bennett Is No Bibi

Given Bennett’s emphasis on bipartisanship and Biden’s desire for good news, Washington has ample room to avoid the public tensions seen during Netanyahu's tenure.

Aug 25, 2021

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David Makovsky

In-Depth Reports

A Strategy to Contain Hezbollah:

Ideas and Recommendations

Since securing a parliamentary majority, the group has consistently prioritized its own interests over those of the Lebanese people through practices such as illicit drug production, sex trafficking, and the buildup of its military arsenal.

Aug 24, 2021

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Hanin Ghaddar

Articles & Testimony

The Taliban Is Back, and the World’s Jihadis Are Coming

Much ink has been spilled about a potential al-Qaeda comeback, but the Taliban’s return could also send insurgents and refugees streaming toward China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.

Aug 18, 2021

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Roy Gutman

Brief Analysis

Iran Is Poised to Exploit the Uncertainties of the Afghan Collapse

Since the fall of Kabul—and well beforehand—Iranian officials have signaled how they might use a Taliban victory to further their goals in the Middle East, though they remain concerned about the fate of Afghan Shia.

Aug 18, 2021

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Farzin Nadimi

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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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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