On Iran

Posted: November 1st, 2015

By Alireza Nader

Alireza Nader is a senior international policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, and author of "The Days After a Deal With Iran: Continuity and Change in Iranian Foreign Policy." His research has focused on Iran's political dynamics, elite decisionmaking, and Iranian foreign policy. His commentaries and articles have appeared in a variety of publications and he is widely cited by the U.S. and international media. Nader's other RAND publications include Israel and Iran: A Dangerous Rivalry; The Next Supreme Leader: Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran; Saudi-Iranian Relations Since the Fall of Saddam: Rivalry, Cooperation, and Implications for U.S. Policy; The Rise of the Pasdaran: Assessing the Domestic Roles of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Prior to joining RAND, Nader served as a research analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses. He is a native speaker of Farsi. Nader received his M.A. in international affairs from The George Washington University.

The Iranian people have been waiting for economic relief for many years. U.S. and international sanctions placed against Iran for its nuclear pursuit had a dramatic effect on the daily life of the average Iranian. Hassan Rouhani’s election as president in June 2013 heralded a new era for his supporters, and he has delivered his promised nuclear agreement and a potential end to Iran’s economic tailspin. Sanctions relief and the return of Iran to the global economy could have a tremendously positive impact for Iran’s future.

The balance of power in Iran is at stake. While Rouhani and his team want Iran’s gradual opening, reactionary forces aligned with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, much of the security establishment, and the clergy are likely to stand guard against “anti-revolutionary” tendencies and policies. Rouhani has won his first battle, but there will be many more struggles for him on the road ahead.

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