Iran | AEIdeas

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Image Credit: sajed.ir (Wikimedia Commons)

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

In Iranian elections, regime stability is king

Will Fulton | May 22, 2013, 4:51 pm

Iran announced yesterday the final list of candidates deemed qualified to run in the country’s upcoming presidential election. The results indicate that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his supporters have positioned themselves to further consolidate their power. The Guardian Council … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Latest IAEA report on Iran depressingly familiar

Maseh Zarif | May 22, 2013, 3:48 pm

The new International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran’s nuclear program—at least the elements of the program that inspectors are given limited access to—reads much like previous quarterly reports in its demonstration of an unrelenting adversary and a failing strategy. … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Rowhani a reformer? Think again

Michael Rubin | May 22, 2013, 10:48 am

Here we go again. The Guardian Council has handpicked eight candidates to contest next month’s presidential elections in Iran, and the Western press dutifully anoints some of them reformers. It’s as if North Korea would someday hold elections in which … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

IRGC messaging: Insight into a revolutionary regime

Will Fulton | May 20, 2013, 1:33 pm

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is extremely influential in Iranian national security affairs. It affects the formulation and execution of policy regarding Iran’s nuclear program, conflict in Syria, global asymmetric operations, domestic security, and many other matters. The IRGC … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Is a strong Iran good for America?

Michael Rubin | May 17, 2013, 2:25 pm

Over at RealClearWorld, Robert Kaplan makes a compelling case that the United States should not fear a strong Iran: It is not in the long-term interest of the United States to side with the Sunni Arab states against Iran or … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Of course the Iranian elections matter. But how?

Will Fulton | May 17, 2013, 12:09 pm

One of the dominant memes surrounding the upcoming Iranian presidential elections is: “Do they matter?” In short, yes. Of course they do. For those who study Iran, the presidential elections are a rare opportunity to gain insight into an otherwise … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Is Iraq falling apart? Not so fast

Michael Rubin | May 16, 2013, 1:46 pm

Sectarian violence is on the upswing in Iraq. Almost 50 people have died in that country in the last two days following a wave of bombings and shootings. For several months now, tension has been mounting. Some analysts trace the … read more >

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani speaks during the 7th session of the Assembly in Tehran, February 2010. Image Credit: REUTERS

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Rafsanjani is dangerous

Michael Rubin | May 13, 2013, 10:16 am

Former Iranian President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s declaration of candidacy for next month’s Iranian presidential election has led some journalists and perhaps diplomats to see hope for change. The Western press has already declared Rafsanjani “a relative moderate, a reformist, … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

The other red line

Maseh Zarif | May 2, 2013, 10:35 am

The lack of clear objectives and a corresponding strategy to deal with the larger Iran problem have, in part, driven the failure to roll back the Iranian nuclear threat. Iran is now approaching a point at which it will be … read more >

Foreign and Defense Policy, Middle East and North Africa

Iranian strategy in Syria

Will Fulton, Joseph Holliday and Sam Wyer | May 2, 2013, 10:19 am

The Islamic Republic of Iran has conducted an extensive, expensive, and integrated effort to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power as long as possible while setting conditions to retain its ability to use Syrian territory and assets to pursue its … read more >

Hindsight Isn’t 20/20
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The Uses of Scandal
One of the greatest uses of scandal is to vividly demonstrate what new laws are needed and to create the political conditions to get them enacted. […]
Lean In… to Government?
Sheryl Sandberg's runaway best-selling book Lean In has managed to offend both the Left and the Right. Sandberg touts female hard-headedness, yet also calls for an elaborate government- and employer-supplied support system for women. […]
Are American Voters Racist?
Racial prejudice plays a very small role in American politics, but a highly disciplined sense of self-interest on the part of one group may play a very large role in the way the federal government functions. […]