Nuclear program of Iran
How Trump Redefined U.S.-Iran Policy At The UN
Trump makes his case and raises the stakes for the Islamic Republic in New York.
Op-eds
Amid war and persecution, Iranians remain hungry for change
What is unmistakable is the depth of loathing for the Islamic Republic among its long-suffering citizens: At 71%, “dissatisfaction with the Islamic Republic” was the top reason for joining protests, according to a survey.
Op-eds
Iran Strikes Jordan To Probe Washington’s Escalation Limits
Despite a lull in fighting between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Tehran broke with its established pattern of portraying direct missile attacks against U.S. forces as retaliation. On...
Policy Briefs
Treasury Moves Against Tehran’s Recycled Sanctions Evader
As U.S. bombs struck Iran’s military, Treasury targeted the financier who helped keep it funded. The U.S. Treasury Department on July 24 sanctioned four individuals and nine entities sustaining...
Policy Briefs
The Middle East Moves Toward a Multifront Maritime War
Yemen’s Houthis have brought the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait into the conflict between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran — blocking millions more barrels of oil from easily...
Policy Briefs
Pickaxe Mountain: Iran’s “Unbustable” Nuclear Bunker?
The Iran Breakdown
Ceasefire Collapse Restores U.S. Leverage as Sanctions, Strikes Weaken Iran’s Hand
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran was meant to secure a 60-day ceasefire. Instead, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly attacked commercial vessels operating in...
Policy Briefs
The time for talk is over — Trump needs to get tough with Iran
Just three weeks after it was signed, the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran is on life support. Tehran’s promise to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for international...
Op-eds
Iran Continues Work at Key Nuclear Site, Violating U.S.-Iran Agreement
New analysis of satellite imagery indicates that Iran is continuing construction at the deeply buried nuclear facility known as Pickaxe Mountain, in violation of the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding...
Policy Briefs
Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: July
Trend Overview Welcome back to the Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy. They provide trendlines...
Policy Tracker
Iranian ballistic missile operations: 2024–2026
Over the past two years, the Islamic Republic has engaged in at least 15 distinct ballistic missile operations from its territory against foreign targets. These attacks, starting in January 2024, ended...
Op-eds
Why Hasn’t the Trump Administration Complied with the Law on Reporting Iran Agreements to Congress?
Abstract This article argues that the Trump Administration’s Memorandum of Understanding with Iran is subject to the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (INARA) but the administration has not complied...
Op-eds
How Trump’s Understanding With Iran Echoes Obama’s 2015 Nuclear Deal
If you want to understand Iran’s negotiating posture for the new nuclear deal with the United States, listen to what Washington and Tehran said about the nuclear deal of July 2015. At the time, President...
Insights
Washington held an unprecedented upper hand over Iran – then cashed it in
The new US-Iran memorandum offers Tehran sweeping concessions, but raises questions about whether Washington is relinquishing its leverage before securing meaningful restrictions
Op-eds
To Police Any New Nuclear Deal, IAEA Access Is Needed — Urgently
Will the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, journey to Iran following the inking of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Tehran and Washington? According to Vice...
Policy Briefs
How Iran Plans to Consolidate Its Victory
Trump took bold actions other presidents never dared, only to end up where they were all along.
Op-eds
Trump Administration Provides Billions in Unrestricted Oil Sanctions Relief to Iran
The Trump administration is laying the groundwork for a major cash infusion for the Iranian regime. On June 22, the Treasury Department issued General License (GL) X, a 60-day authorization for the...
Policy Briefs
Breaking Down the US-Iran MOU
The Iran Breakdown
Iran deal tosses a tremendous cash lifeline to terrorist regime
The Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran hands the terrorist regime the one victory it could never have achieved on the battlefield. Financial reprieve. What is so disconcerting...