Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

Pushing Back on Iran in Syria: Beyond the ‘Boots’

Apart from its military intervention, Tehran has pursued a wide range of economic and social tactics for increasing its sway in Syria, but Washington can still push back with targeted assistance, innovative sanctions, and strategic messaging.

Jan 22, 2019

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Hanin Ghaddar
Dana Stroul

Articles & Testimony

Pompeo’s Cairo Speech More ‘Back to the Future’ Than Break With Past

The administration should focus more on amplifying the voices of regional citizens while convincingly standing against collective threats.

Jan 16, 2019

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Ben Fishman
Dana Stroul

Brief Analysis

Saudi Security Forces Kill Shia Militants Near Major Oil Facilities

Coming the same week as Secretary Pompeo’s Middle East tour, the incident is a powerful example of the regional threat posed by Iran.

Jan 10, 2019

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

It’s Time for a Serious Saudi-Houthi Back Channel

Riyadh has leverage to undermine Iran’s project in Yemen and can do so alongside UN-brokered peace talks.

Jan 9, 2019

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Barbara A. Leaf
Elana DeLozier

Articles & Testimony

What Trump Means by ‘America First’

In a world where major threats require help from partners, uncertainty about U.S. leadership does not make America safer.

Jan 8, 2019

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Trump Departs Syria: An Israeli Perspective

Jerusalem seeks to mitigate the potential risks of the president’s decision by shaping its implementation and obtaining U.S. security guarantees, though long-term concerns still loom.

Jan 8, 2019

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Michael Herzog

Brief Analysis

Sending the Right Message in Cairo: Advice for Secretary Pompeo

All eyes will be on the secretary’s speech this week, so striking the right balance between President Trump’s domestic imperatives and the realities of regional policy is crucial.

Jan 7, 2019

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Soner Cagaptay
Simon Henderson
Martin Kramer
Matthew Levitt
David Pollock
Dennis Ross
Dana Stroul
Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Continued Push for a Nuclear-Ready Missile Capability

The latest test launch represents a potential technological milestone for Iran—and a wakeup call for Europe.

Jan 4, 2019

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

Designing Win-Win Economic Policies in Washington and Baghdad

To pressure Iran without cornering Iraq, U.S. officials should set a program of activities with achievable timeframes, supported by public diplomacy.

Jan 3, 2019

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Katherine Bauer
Michael Knights
Bilal Wahab

Articles & Testimony

Foreign Policy Should Not Get Lost in Israel’s Election Campaign

Candidates need to be asked how they will deal with thorny issues such as Russian blowback in Syria, Hezbollah missile threats, Gaza reconstruction, and Iranian nuclear resurgence.

Jan 2, 2019

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David Makovsky
Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

Mission Unaccomplished: The Tweet That Upended Trump’s Counterterrorism and Iran Policies

If the Syria withdrawal proves inevitable, officials should push to phase the departure, keep U.S. forces at Tanf, maintain the air campaign, forge a counterterror agreement with Turkey, and take other fallback measures.

Dec 25, 2018

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Matthew Levitt
Aaron Y. Zelin

In-Depth Reports

Russia's Arabic Propaganda: What It Is, Why It Matters

Explore the subtle strategies, including information manipulation, that Moscow is using to expand Russian influence in the Middle East.

Dec 19, 2018

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Anna Borshchevskaya
Catherine Cleveland

Brief Analysis

As Washington Prepares to Withdraw from Syria, Turkey Is Set to Invade

The combination of premature steps would further damage U.S. credibility while giving Iranian proxies and Islamic State remnants free rein in east Syria.

Dec 19, 2018

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Dana Stroul
Soner Cagaptay

Brief Analysis

In the Scramble to Save the Iran Deal, Don’t Forget Procurement

A new UN report does little to assuage concerns about suspicious Iranian procurements, underscoring the need for allied intelligence agencies to boost their detection efforts.

Dec 19, 2018

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Elana DeLozier

Video

Brief Analysis

Forty Years of the Islamic Republic: What Next?

What are the prospects for liberal democracy in Iran, and what can the international community do to help the ongoing protest movement? Watch video or download a full transcript of this special event.

Dec 18, 2018

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Reza Pahlavi

Articles & Testimony

Rouhani’s Threat to Shut the Strait of Hormuz—More Than Bluster?

Thirty-five years of historical precedent make clear that Tehran will lash out if it feels cornered.

Dec 14, 2018

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Matthew Levitt

Video

Brief Analysis

The IRGC and Regional Conflict: Temperature Rising

The author of a landmark new book on the IRGC joins two Iran scholars for a lively conversation on how best to understand the force’s origins and exploit its weaknesses.

Dec 12, 2018

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Nader Uskowi
Ali Alfoneh
Alex Vatanka

Brief Analysis

Iran Plans to Make Its Oil Industry More Resilient

To counter U.S. sanctions, Tehran is pursuing a three-pronged strategy of diversifying its export outlets, bumping up fuel production, and creating a strategic storage network.

Dec 11, 2018

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Farzin Nadimi

Articles & Testimony

All Is Quiet on Iran’s Western Front, Say UN Peacekeepers

Local UN forces need serious rebalancing if they are to help address Tehran’s blatant military buildup in the area.

Dec 11, 2018

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Assaf Orion

In-Depth Reports

Iran's Precision Missile Project Moves to Lebanon

Three experts examine Tehran's objectives, Russia's regional goals, and the way these translate to long-term threats and short-term risks for Israel.

Dec 10, 2018

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Katherine Bauer
Hanin Ghaddar
Assaf Orion

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

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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Policy Analysis on Iran

Viterbi Program on Iran and U.S. Policy

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