The Risk of Miscalculation
According to U.S. Navy officials, confrontations between American and Iranian naval vessels in the Persian Gulf have risen by roughly 50 percent. This despite the […] More
Iran
Objective: Mosul
With the Islamic State (ISIS) having lost more than 40 percent of its territory in Iraq since its height of control in January 2015, all […] More
One Battle, But "Six Campaigns"
The good news: all signs point to a final attack on ISIS in Mosul by Iraqi forces and the American-led coalition. This struggle has received […] More
No Simple Choices When it Comes to Syria
President Obama, and therefore the United States, has not faced simple choices when it comes to Syria and certainly none that would satisfy Americans’ traditional […] More
The World is Watching: The American Election and Iran
For the Islamic Republic of Iran, the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to the outcome of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. With a […] More
Trump Means Business
The 2016 U.S. Presidential Election is fraught with uncertainty for the electorate, political establishment, and the world. The Iranian political establishment is closely observing the […] More
Clinton's Intrinsic Realism
No country is watching the theatrics of the American presidential campaign more closely than the Islamic Republic of Iran. As the object of U.S. President […] More
Don’t Rely on Iran’s Good Intentions
There is a small window of time for the United States and its allies to determine what kind of nuclear technologies are delivered to Tehran, […] More
Iran Deploys Long Delayed Russian-Made Defense System Around Nuclear Site
Iran has deployed a Russian-made air defense system around its underground Fordow nuclear facility, state media reported this week. Given the timing of the announcement, […] More
Russian Use of Iranian Airbase Comes to an Abrupt End
Last week, the world learned of the unprecedented revelation that Russia was using Iran’s Hamadan military base to launch strikes into Syria. This week, that […] More
Russia-Iran Alliance: Shifting the Power Dynamic
Russia’s airstrikes into Syria from an Iranian air base mark a new phase in the relationship between the two countries. “Historically they’re not friends. They […] More
Stirring Up His Audience
Donald Trump is a provocateur as well as a mythmaker, two qualities that should disqualify a presidential candidate and would be extremely dangerous if he […] More
Kurdistan as a Geopolitical Playground
The region often referred to as Kurdistan, split between four areas in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, has long played a role as a conflicted […] More
The Forgotten Dimension of the Syrian Conflict
The complex proxy war in Syria has demonstrated both the reach and limitations of Iran’s strategic influence. By mobilizing a wide range of strategic, tactical, […] More
The Problem with Proxies
When it comes to cyber attacks, one of the biggest problems is correctly determining who, exactly, is attacking you. This is called attribution, and it […] More
How Much Should We Fear Iranian Cyber Proxies?
Most analysts have been impressed, and increasingly concerned, with the rapid improvement of Iran’s cyber capabilities. Tehran undoubtedly focuses the bulk of its cyber investment […] More
Roadblocks on the Path to Normality in Iran
On May 10, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry prepared to discuss Iranian sanctions with leading members of the European banking industry in London. However, […] More
It's a Matter of Time
Although the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in January lifted some international sanctions on Iran, […] More