Iran

Policy Analysis on Iran

The Nuclear Deal with Iran: Regional Implications

While the agreement has a number of significant flaws, at least some can be rectified by various mitigation measures, provided the president is willing to commit to an effective implementation strategy.

Jul 29, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

Potential Regional Implications of the Iran Deal

The agreement does not clearly achieve its main objective of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, nor does it complement America's broader strategies regarding the Middle East and global nonproliferation.

Jul 29, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

The Regional Impact of Additional Iranian Money

A post-sanctions windfall would give Tehran ample capacity to rescue the Syrian regime, reshape Iraq's political environment, expand its terrorist proxy activities in various theaters, and otherwise amplify the effects of its destabilizing regional posture.

Jul 28, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt
Simon Henderson
Michael Knights
Matthew Levitt
Andrew J. Tabler

Brief Analysis

Israel Confronts the Iran Nuclear Deal

Israelis fear that the deal will legitimize Iran as a nuclear threshold state, embolden its highly destabilizing role in a volatile Middle East, and trigger nuclear proliferation and a conventional arms race in the region.

Jul 24, 2015

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Michael Herzog

Articles & Testimony

The Risk in Lifting Sanctions, and Pressure, on Iran's Weapons Activities

Tehran's longstanding arms trafficking and missile research efforts highlight the problem with wholesale removal of weapons restrictions.

Jul 21, 2015

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

The Sino-Iranian Tango: Why the Nuclear Deal Is Good for China

In addition to bolstering China's own economic and energy strategy, the deal could spur Beijing to facilitate Iran's rise as a regional power via military assistance, technology transfers, and investment.

Jul 21, 2015

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Michael Singh

Brief Analysis

Khamenei vs. Rouhani: Projecting Very Different Views on the Nuclear Deal

The Supreme Leader's initial reaction has sent discouraging signals about Iran's willingness to comply with its commitments in the long term.

Jul 16, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Iran Nuclear Deal Offers Shaky Compromise

The final agreement lies somewhere in between the April 2 interim parameters and Khamenei's maximalist demands, but whether Iran will adhere to the seemingly favorable terms is another question.

Jul 16, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Articles & Testimony

If the Iran Deal Fails...

Congressional rejection of the nuclear deal wouldn't be pretty, but a messy domestic political battle is a far cry from the president's warnings of potential war with Iran.

Jul 16, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

Iran Will Cheat. Then What?

Knowing when Iran has violated the agreement is one thing; ensuring that there is a price for every transgression, no matter how small, is another.

Jul 15, 2015

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

How Will the Iran Nuclear Deal Affect Broader U.S. Strategy?

If the administration cannot convincingly describe a regional strategy into which the agreement fits, allies and skeptics are likely to assume an unspoken U.S. realignment or simple incoherence.

Jul 15, 2015

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

What's Really Wrong with the Iran Nuclear Deal

Tactically, the impressively detailed Iran nuclear accord masks major flaws; strategically, it heralds a profound shift in U.S. regional strategy.

Jul 14, 2015

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Robert Satloff

Articles & Testimony

How to Assess the Iran Deal and What to Do About It

Nothing, including reluctantly accepting a bad agreement, is as dangerous as leaving open the question of how the United States would react if Iran approaches a nuclear weapons capability.

Jul 14, 2015

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James Jeffrey

Brief Analysis

The Nuclear Deal May Weaken Rouhani

The agreement is a significant achievement for Rouhani, but the hardliners are already moving to ensure that it does not empower him during his remaining time in office, in line with their previous efforts to downplay the negotiations and separate them from nonnuclear issues.

Jul 14, 2015

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Mehdi Khalaji

Articles & Testimony

Iran Deal Leaves U.S. With Tough Questions

The deal with Iran is finally done. Given the stakes, it should be scrutinized. It makes sense to reserve judgment and see how the administration explains all the clauses of the agreement and how they will be implemented. While I look forward to the administration's full explanation of the deal

Jul 14, 2015

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Dennis Ross

Articles & Testimony

We Should Not Let Euphoria About the Iran Nuclear Deal Cloud Our Judgment

Complacency could put regional security at greater risk, so the international community must not drop its guard against an emboldened regime.

Jul 14, 2015

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Michael Herzog

Articles & Testimony

Keeping Iran's Feet to the Fire

Even with a deal now signed, the Obama administration still has many tools for countering Iran’s menacing behavior across the Middle East.

Jul 14, 2015

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David Makovsky
Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

How Iran's Economic Gain from a Nuclear Deal Might Affect Its Foreign Policy

The additional resources unleashed by the agreement will put Iran in a better position to spend more on its various priorities, but how much it puts toward foreign adventurism will remain a political, not an economic, decision.

Jul 10, 2015

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Patrick Clawson

Articles & Testimony

U.S.-GCC Relations: Closing the Credibility Gap

The additional steps promised at the Camp David summit do not constitute a game-changer in U.S.-GCC relations, especially since the Joint Statement is so vague regarding specific steps to counter Iran's destabilizing activities.

Jul 9, 2015

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Michael Eisenstadt

Articles & Testimony

What If a Nuclear Deal Is Reached–and Iran’s Behavior Doesn’t Change?

As another negotiating deadline comes and goes, U.S. allies in the Middle East appear less concerned with the particulars of a possible accord than the particulars of U.S. policy toward Iran after a deal. The Obama administration believes that Iran’s behavior in the region will improve after a nuclear agreement

Jul 7, 2015

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Michael Singh

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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