What It Will Take to Keep the Iran Deal Alive

by Adnan Tabatabai The U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement between Iran and the EU/E3+3 constitutes a strong rejection of multilateralism by the Trump administration and leaves the remaining parties of the agreement with the challenge to safeguard its survival.… Continue Reading

Why Iran Is Not a Mideast Hegemon

by Adnan Tabatabai For many observers, Iran emerged as the major winner of Middle East developments in 2017. They saw a “new superpower” in the region now securing military victories “outside its own borders.” Although the dynamic in places like… Continue Reading

The Logic Behind Iran’s Regional Posture

by Adnan Tabatabai On December 3, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei convened Iran’s top military brass. Iranian media circulated one key sentence of his remarks on the front pages of newspapers: “Today, the armed forces are in need of the best… Continue Reading

Rouhani’s Challenges to Form His New Cabinet

by Adnan Tabatabai Hassan Rouhani will be sworn in for his second term as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the official inauguration scheduled for August 5, 2017. The tahlif ceremony will take place in parliament, symbolizing the… Continue Reading

2017 Uncertainties Require a New Mideast Security Structure

by Adnan Tabatabai 2016 certainly bore no good news for the Middle East. Wars are being waged with greater intensity, and the humanitarian catastrophes in Syria and Yemen are reaching unprecedented levels. Instability remains the key defining character of the… Continue Reading