Ali Khamenei

Iran’s New ‘Nuclear’ Weapon

What happens if the U.S. declines to fight for the Strait of Hormuz.

Breaking the Myth of Hezbollah’s Captive Constituency

Israel’s Alma Center is wrong about Lebanon’s Shia population. In a recent article, the institute claimed that Hezbollah’s Shia constituency is a “captive audience” chained by dependency, fear,...

Saudi Arabia’s strange war: Appease Iran, rebuff Israel

Riyadh’s muted response to Iranian aggression reveals a leadership driven more by fear and domestic troubles than coherent regional strategy

In Iran, Behavior Changes Only When The Regime Does

An Islamist system built on anti-Americanism and export of terrorism will not abandon the very tools that sustain it.

Think we’re losing the war in Iran? Consider where things really stand

From nuclear setbacks to proxy collapse, the Islamic Republic faces its most severe strategic crisis in 47 years

Why Trump’s Iran cease-fire is an increasingly risky bet

President Donald Trump has indefinitely extended the cease-fire with Iran, even though the core issues that triggered the war remain unresolved. That doesn’t change one basic fact: The Islamic Republic has...

Iran attacks vessels in Hormuz, avoids concrete stance on ceasefire extension

After Donald Trump announced an extension of the US ceasefire with Iran on April 21, Tehran refused to take an official position on the state of the ceasefire, denied it had agreed to any extension, and...

Iran’s Support for Russia and Lessons Learned from Ukraine

The U.S. military can clear mines but not minds

Though Tehran’s capabilities are being degraded, its theology persists

How to assess America’s 40 days of war against Iran

Washington and Tehran are both arguing that they were victorious after 40 days of fighting. A detailed analysis, however, suggests a more nuanced picture in which American forces degraded Iran’s core...

How Trump Miscalculated in Iran

He followed his Venezuela model, not accounting for the ideological character of the regime in Tehran.

Double-dealing Pakistan is the danger looming over critical US-Iran talks

President Donald Trump’s two-week cease-fire with Iran is a huge gamble — and allowing Pakistan to act as the go-between only raises the stakes. Pakistan, after all, is the nation where...

US, Iran agree to 2-week ceasefire in exchange for reopening of Strait of Hormuz

After 39 days of fighting between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other, the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire. While there are conflicting reports regarding...

Know thine enemy

The “great, proud people of Iran” are not among them

Iraq’s bake sale for the Islamic Republic

Iran, under financial isolation, is turning to an old friend: Iraqi cash. Through informal financial channels and networks, currency-filled envelopes are moving across Iraq into Iran under...

5 Men Now Running Iran

The joint U.S.-Israeli campaign has eliminated the Islamic Republic’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and his son and successor Mojtaba has yet to appear publicly. However, the regime remains intact. The...

The War in Iran Is Painful for Poland. It May Also Be in Poland’s Interest.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 12-14 percent of Europe's liquefied natural gas flows, puts Poland's energy diversification strategy to a serious test. However, this is nothing compared to the risk posed by a nuclear-armed Iran supplying Russia with advanced missiles and drones.

America can bankrupt Iran’s insiders — And it should

Tens of billions of dollars have been siphoned out of the Iranian economy by the Islamic Republic’s insiders over the past decade. If the U.S. wasn’t watching then, it is now. “We...

Iran is not Venezuela, President Trump, and this man is no moderate

Seeking a shortcut out of Iran, the administration considers its Venezuela playbook.

US-Israeli strikes continue as talks over Strait of Hormuz stall and Iran intensifies internal crackdown

The US and Israel continued strikes across Iran over the last week, including precision hits on military sites, industrial facilities, and urban areas, alongside applying pressure on Tehran over the Strait...