Iran

Iran’s evolving role in the region, external relations, and domestic dynamics

The ultimate impacts of former President Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1, and subsequent maximum pressure campaign, remain unclear. Questions and uncertainty surround the future of U.S. engagement with Iran, as well as how Iran’s Arab neighbors will respond to Iranian assertiveness and perceptions of the U.S.-Gulf alliance. The Middle East Program examines evolving domestic trends within Iran as well as Iran’s engagement with its neighbors, in the region, and beyond.

See the Middle East Program's publications and past events on Iran HERE.

 

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Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images

Iran's Path Forward: Civil Society's Lessons Learned on the Anniversary of Mahsa Amini's Killing

Please join the CSIS Middle East Program for a reflective discussion on the lessons civil society has learned in the year following Amini's death with Siamak Aram, Cameron Khansarinia, and Nilo Tabrizy, with introductory remarks from Jason Rezaian and moderated by Jon Alterman.

Event by Jon B. Alterman, Jason Rezaian, Siamak Aram, Cameron Khansarinia, and Nilo Tabrizy

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Iran is Not One Crisis, but Three, for the U.S.

In a new piece for The Hill, Jon Alterman argues that the killing of Qassem Suleimani provoked three crises for the United States. In addition to the crisis with Iran, it created one for the global counterterrorism fight in Iraq and one for Great Power relations.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — January 10, 2020

U.S. Response to Iranian Brinkmanship

CSIS’s Jon Alterman address the questions raised by the recent attack on two oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz about Iran's strategy and the potential U.S. response.

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — June 14, 2019

Escalating U.S.-Iran Tensions

Amid increasing tensions between the United States and Iran, CSIS’s Jon Alterman offers insight into why this has escalated now and how the United States can move forward.

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — May 16, 2019

Punishing Iran Is Not a Strategy

Even before the Warsaw conference last week, it had become clear the Trump administration does have a strategy in the Middle East: punishing Iran until the government is more compliant. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong strategy to pursue. 

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — February 21, 2019

Public Linkages and Popular Protest in Iran

Dr. Harris, assistant professor of sociology at the  University  of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), spoke at a CSIS roundtable on “Public Linkages and Popular Protest in Iran” on December 11, 2018.

Event — December 11, 2018

The Enemy Gets A Vote

Secretary of Defense James Mattis is fond of pointing out, “The enemy gets a vote.” However masterful a maneuver the United States executes, the impact depends on how the adversary responds, and not just on what the United States has done.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — May 16, 2018