Getting Out of Iran’s Way
The election of Ebrahim Raisi shows Iran's lack of interest in peace with the West—and the perils of pulling out of the Middle East altogether.
Strait of Hormuz
Iran puts air defense assets on display
The Islamic Republic has concluded a massive air defense drill showcasing select surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), launchers, radars, and command-and-control equipment. While analysts and policymakers have...
Op-eds
COVID-19 And Iranian Foreign And Security Policy: Stasis, Not Change
Leading up to and throughout the coronavirus crisis, the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued its policy of graduated escalation against its adversaries. Tehran’s underwriting of such activities...
Op-eds
Trump Has an Iran Strategy. This Is It.
A campaign of maximum pressure could bring Tehran to the table.
Op-eds
Israel and US face Iran on parallel planes
Iran has crossed the threshold on low-enriched uranium, shortening significantly the time to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear device.
Op-eds
Where the US-Iran shadow war goes from here
The man once celebrated in Tehran as “the living martyr,” Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, is now just a martyr in the traditional sense. Felled by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq, his life ended in the conflict...
Op-eds
New DIA Report Underscores Iranian Cruise Missile Threat
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) last week released a landmark report analyzing the capabilities of Iran’s military. In light of Iran’s September attacks on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities...
Policy Briefs
U.S. Carrier Strike Group Transits Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. Navy’s Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) transited through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, entering the Persian Gulf following months of Iranian attacks in the area. The high-profile...
Policy Briefs
Qatar had prior knowledge of Iran attack on vessels, failed to tell allies: report
Qatar had advance knowledge on an Iranian attack on four commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman in May and may have failed to warn its U.S., French and British allies, a western intelligence report alleges. The...
Op-eds
U.S. Deterrence in the Middle East Is Collapsing
The withdrawal from Syria is part of a broader pattern of weakness, especially in response to Iran.
Op-eds
In Effort to Deter Iran, DOD Deploys Additional Forces to Saudi Arabia
In response to continued threats from Iran and a request from Riyadh, the Pentagon announced Friday the deployment of additional U.S. forces to Saudi Arabia. Washington is seeking to strengthen U.S. combat...
Policy Briefs
Germany must re-embrace America, Europe
President Trump has been pointedly criticized for putting pressure on America’s European allies. Critics have even insinuated that he is endangering the alliance. Yet it is Chancellor Angela Merkel’s...
Op-eds
New Iranian tanker headed to Syria in violation of U.S. sanctions
“The vessel is now headed to Dubai, where it will refuel before beginning a months-long journey around the horn of Africa, through the Mediterranean and to the shores of Syria.”
Op-eds
Iran shoots down U.S. drone
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps shot down a MQ-4 Global Hawk as it was gathering intelligence over the Strait of Hormuz. It is the second US drone downed by Iran and its allies since the b...
Op-eds
Oman’s Growing Ties with Iran Threatens its Neutrality: FDD Report
Weapons smuggling to Houthis via Oman rank among recent concerns
Press Releases
Punishing the Saudi prince
Ceding Yemen to Iran’s ruling ayatollahs is not the way to do it.
Op-eds
Here’s How Trump Should Prepare for Iranian Escalation
Once sanctions are back in full force, the United States needs to be ready for the worst.
Op-eds
Energy Security Is the Real Way to Put America First
Since withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal in May, the Trump administration has faced a serious dilemma. On one hand, with the upcoming ...
Op-eds
The Islamic Republic’s demands
Britain, France and Germany are three of America’s closest allies but they don’t always act like it. Last week in Vienna, their foreign ministers met with the foreign ministers of Chi...
Op-eds
Oman’s Dangerous Double Game
The Obama administration sought to help Iran cash in on the 2015 nuclear deal, a Republican-led Senate investigation revealed last week. The report also raises questions about the role played by...