Gen. Ali Mohsen could wind up as interim president despite his unpalatability to various parties, so Washington should prepare accordingly to avoid derailing peace talks. Washington’s recent push for Yemen talks is likely a product of pressure on several fronts: the rising sense of urgencyabout ending the destructive war; diplomatic troubles with Saudi Arabia; mounting congressional calls to halt military support for… Keep reading →
Before I begin, I would first like to congratulate Poland on the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Polish independence. In 123 years of struggle from 1795 to November 1918, countless Poles proved their love for freedom. Our two nations share a common love and appreciate of liberty, and I am honored to be able… Keep reading →
Economic sanctions, in one form or another, have been applied for centuries to effect change in the activities or policies of states, groups or individuals
Tehran likely used the attack to demonstrate its unhindered regional reach, while flashing its enhanced deterrent posture through the testing of new military hardware. In the early hours of Monday, October 1, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Iran launched six surface-to-surface missiles across Iraq at “takfiri” (apostate) targets in Syria east of… Keep reading →
Despite Russia’s anger and false media claims about the incident, Moscow is unlikely to demand that Israel halt its campaign against Iran’s foreign military buildup. On September 17, following the latest in a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets in northern Syria, one of the Assad regime’s S-200 missile batteries accidentally shot down a… Keep reading →
Hardliners have been exploiting the recurrent unrest as an excuse to lambaste the government’s economic track record, interfere with its prerogatives in various sectors, and double down on the Supreme Leader’s ‘resistance’ strategy. In his first public reaction to Iran’s recent protests and mounting economic crisis, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei attempted to deflect public anger… Keep reading →
Tehran has generally responded to pressure by issuing threats, ramping up its nuclear activities, accepting temporary limits, and, when the heat is turned up, launching cyber, military, and terrorist operations. This PolicyWatch is the first in a two-part series on shaping Iran’s potential responses to increased U.S. pressure on its nuclear activities. Read Part 2, which… Keep reading →
Khamenei’s Ramadan speech combined explicit attacks on the United States, implicit criticism of Rouhani’s approach, and excessive demands on Europe, seemingly bracing the regime for one of the toughest challenges of his thirty-year rule. Every Ramadan, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei uses the occasion of a post-fast iftar dinner to deliver a message to the Iranian people and… Keep reading →
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 →
Now that the nuclear deal is off, Iran’s next steps will be shaped at least in part by the technical capabilities of its enrichment program and related efforts. Amid President Trump’s announced withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iran has threatened to expand its nuclear program beyond the restraints mandated in that agreement.… Keep reading →
