Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Religion, Expediency, and Soft Power in an Era of Disruptive Change

In Marine Corps University's expanded and revised 2015 edition of The Strategic Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran, first published in 2011, author Michael Eisenstadt discusses Iran’s unique approach to statecraft, strategy, and the use of force, focusing on the following core elements: Policy in the theocratic Islamic Republic

Nov 23, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Brief Analysis

Putin Visits Iran

To reap the benefits and avert the dangers of Moscow's latest developments with Iran, Washington and Europe should adopt a strategy that allows them to cooperate on Syria and antiterrorism efforts, while continuing pressure on issues such as the Ukraine conflict and S-300 deliveries to Tehran.

Nov 20, 2015

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Brenda Shaffer

Articles & Testimony

Great Expectations: Iran After the Deal

Regardless of whether the nuclear deal succeeds or fails, Iranian society is undergoing substantial changes that make the Islamic Republic's longer-term future difficult to predict.

Nov 9, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Unfinished Business from the Iran Nuclear Debate

As the clock counts down to implementation, Washington needs to move quickly to correct the agreement's flaws and close its loopholes.

Nov 5, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

The Not-So-Great Game in Syria, and How to End It

Russia has greatly complicated an already-fraught situation by picking a fight with Syria's majority Sunni rebels and tripping into other regional players' spheres of influence.

Nov 4, 2015

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Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Iran Seeks to Strengthen Its Deterrence by Showing Off Its Missile Force

By test-firing a new ballistic missile and flaunting a secret underground tunnel complex, Tehran hopes to reassure hardliners at home while defiantly showing the international community that it is still pursuing active deterrence and missile development.

Oct 28, 2015

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Farzin Nadimi

A banner of Iran's former Supreme leader Khomeini

Articles & Testimony

A Deal Among Enemies

The Iranian regime's anti-Western regional policy has become much more important to its identity than Islamic ideology, so confronting Tehran's "unreasonable rationality" is essential.

Oct 16, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Iran's Military Intervention in Syria: Long-Term Implications

Defending the Assad regime has given Tehran multiple options for expanding its influence and projecting power in the region and beyond.

Oct 15, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

A Syria Plan That Shares the Burden -- and Gives the U.S. Leverage

A safe haven along Syria's border with Turkey could involve several partners and send a clear message to Russia and Iran.

Oct 9, 2015

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Dennis Ross

Brief Analysis

Russia's Cruise Missiles Raise the Stakes in the Caspian

The missile strikes on targets in Syria showed unprecedented cooperation between Russia and Iran, but they also serve as a wakeup call to Tehran about Moscow's expanding military profile in the Caspian.

Oct 8, 2015

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Farzin Nadimi

Brief Analysis

Iran's Post-Deal Economic Stagnation Challenges Rouhani

The Iranian president has taken steps to limit his vulnerability to a plodding recovery, but over time a failure of sanctions relief to bring about dramatic economic improvements could harm his political outlook.

Oct 8, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

Russia Pursues a New Baghdad Pact

Putin's latest Middle Eastern moves are aimed not so much at expanding his front line of tensions with the West, but rather at making a deal by proving that he has acquired a lot of cards in the region.

Oct 8, 2015

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Ehud Yaari

Brief Analysis

Russia's Syria Move Is a Mixed Blessing for Iran

For all the praise (and relief) Moscow's deployment is eliciting in Tehran, continued Russian involvement will likely cut into Iran's influence.

Oct 5, 2015

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Olivier Decottignies

Brief Analysis

Assessing the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Gap in the Gulf

An uninterrupted regional carrier presence would be preferable, given the host of threats, but these heavily used warships must undergo maintenance now to stay effective.

Oct 5, 2015

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Cmdr. Ryan T. Tewell

Brief Analysis

Iran's Majlis Unlikely to Settle Internal Dispute on the Nuclear Deal

The release of a special-committee report to the Majlis will be seized on by hardliners, who will continue to voice their opposition even in the probable event implementation goes forward.

Oct 2, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Brief Analysis

Iran's Iraqi Shiite Proxies Increase Their Deployment to Syria

Recent online activities show that various Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militias have greatly expanded their recruitment efforts in support of the Assad regime, including numerous reports of significant battlefield action.

Oct 2, 2015

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Phillip Smyth

Articles & Testimony

Misanalysis Makes a Mess

U.S. policy in Syria is failing because the Obama administration is prioritizing the urgent (rolling back ISIS) over the truly important (preventing Iran and Russia from rearranging Middle East security to their benefit).

Oct 2, 2015

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Robert Satloff
James Jeffrey

Articles & Testimony

Replacing Hamas: Iran's New Proxy Militia in Gaza

With millions of dollars in Iranian funding, a marginal PIJ splinter faction is aiming to establish a powerful, Hezbollah-style proxy in Gaza.

Sep 28, 2015

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Ehud Yaari

Articles & Testimony

Boosting Transparency on Military Aspects of Iran's Nuclear Program

Understanding Tehran's past progress toward a nuclear bomb and mapping the facilities and personnel involved in such efforts can help head off any potential breakout attempts in the coming years.

Sep 25, 2015

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Michael Singh
Simond de Galbert

Brief Analysis

Beyond the Vote (Part 4): Challenges for the Sanctions Regime

Three experts discuss the need to better inform U.S. and European companies about the continued risks of doing business with Iran, including the particulars of how secondary sanctions will be enforced once the nuclear deal is implemented.

Sep 22, 2015

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Chip Poncy
Patrick Clawson
Matthew Levitt

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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