An expert panel assesses sanctions and the future of U.S. Iran strategy in light of the Trump administration’s exit from the nuclear deal. On May 11, Katherine Bauer, Patrick Clawson, and Michael Singh addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Bauer, the Institute’s Blumenstein-Katz Family Fellow, is the former senior policy advisor for Iran… Keep reading →
Whatever understandings the Trump administration reaches after the Islamic State is defeated, it needs to be clear about the stakes: if America does not stop the Iranians in Syria and Iraq, they will soon emerge as the region’s dominant force. During his recent meetings with Arab leaders in Riyadh, President Trump signed up to a… Keep reading →
Funeral notices indicate that Iran has increased its use of IRGC Ground Forces in Syria to offset mounting losses by the elite Qods Force, and this pattern could signal a wider transformation in how the IRGC operates abroad. On May 6, at least sixteen Iranian nationals and an undisclosed number of Shiite foreign fighters under… Keep reading →
Even after the deal is in effect, the United States can sustain or increase tough barriers on Iran’s trade with other countries, but this fact has not been highlighted by the president or his team. On August 19, in a move designed to address concerns by wavering members of Congress, President Barack Obama sent a… Keep reading →
If the Supreme Leader is able to continue his strategy of purposeful ambiguity by manipulating the media and parliament, the current deal could fall apart just as easily as past nuclear agreements. In a televised speech delivered August 17, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei commented on the P5+1 nuclear agreement in skeptical terms, noting that the decision… Keep reading →
The Supreme Leader’s initial reaction has sent discouraging signals about Iran’s willingness to comply with its commitments in the long term. As expected, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s reaction to the nuclear deal was utterly different from that of President Hassan Rouhani. Right after the agreement was announced on July 14, Rouhani appeared on state television and… Keep reading →
The Supreme Leader’s latest statements, harping on “unreasonable” demands, are not preparing the Iranian public for compromise. Since May 16, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has spoken publicly on three occasions, covering topics including the Yemen crisis and the nuclear negotiations. The third of these speeches, on May 20 at the graduation ceremony for Imam Hossein… Keep reading →
The past two editions of the annual intelligence report show a marked shift away from discussing Iran’s hegemonic regional ambitions and terrorism sponsorship. Each year, the director of national intelligence presents Congress with a “Worldwide Threat Assessment” detailing the range of security threats to the United States, with the latest edition released this February. Below… Keep reading →
The Assembly of Experts may soon have a new leader, but hints of a name have yet to emerge. Last week, Muhammad Reza Mahdavi Kani, who heads Iran’s Assembly of Experts, suffered a stroke and fell into a coma from which doctors do not expect him to recover. Rumors around Tehran even suggest that the… Keep reading →
