Iran

As economic conditions in Iran have begun to deteriorate again over the past months, public debate over corruption as one of the key factors behind the economic decline has intensified. Local newspapers, social media, and even government-sponsored broadcasting networks have been covering economic issues more closely. There has been a major shift among the Iranian...

The U.S. decision to abandon the nuclear deal with Iran is bad news for crude oil importers, good news for exporters, and complicated news for those with more entwined relations with Tehran. It injects another element of uncertainty into a market already puzzling over Venezuela, OPEC, trade wars, and interest rates.

The war of words between Washington and Tehran is giving way to a more conciliatory tone, including even hints at direct and unconditional talks between the two capitals, even while U.S. economic pressure mounts. As a result, the Islamic Republic is facing a challenge as old as the revolutionary regime itself: Who should engage in,...

On July 31, the Islamic Republic was once again shaken by rallies beginning in Gohardasht, in Alborz province, and Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran, as Iranians took to the streets to protest rising prices. Bread riots alone, however, are not likely to shake the foundations of the regime. But should the protests spread...

Are the United States and Iran preparing to go to war? The prospect has certainly advanced considerably since Donald Trump became president and, particularly, when he withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement. But there might be less going on than meets the eye. The current flare-up began last weekend, with a highly bellicose, all-caps tweet...

There was a time when Iran’s Major General Qassim Suleimani, chief of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was the ultimate kingmaker in Iraqi politics. Populist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s surprise victory in the May 12 parliamentary elections somewhat weakened Suleimani’s – and thereby Tehran’s – clout over Iraqi politics. The Islamic Republic,...

Just as Israel intensified its air raids against Iranian military targets in Syria, Russia began distancing itself from Iran, demanding the withdrawal of Iranian and allied Shia militias from that country. The widening of the Iran-Russia divide is hardly surprising: While the Islamic Republic leadership longs for Russia as a strategic ally, Russia perceives Iran...

On May 23, AGSIW hosted a panel discussion exploring the implications of major developments for the Gulf Arab countries and the rest of the region.