Covering topics ranging from security and politics to business and society, IranSource draws on written analysis and multimedia content to inform a broader public conversation about Iran from an array of angles and perspectives.

It aims to identify the challenges, opportunities, and policy conundrums facing the US-Iran relationship and present a range of options to address them.

Editor: Holly Dagres

The views expressed in IranSource are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Atlantic Council, its staff, or its supporters.

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What will Raisi’s cabinet look like? Hardline and full of war vets.

IranSource Nov 20, 2024

2025 will be a decisive year for Iran’s nuclear program

Diplomatic deadlines and regional factors will force Iran to decide soon whether to strike a deal or seek a nuclear weapon. Either choice will have major ripple effects.

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What will Raisi’s cabinet look like? Hardline and full of war vets.

IranSource Nov 20, 2024

How to wrestle with an ayatollah 

By Khosro Sayeh Isfahani

If one looks closely, the ancient Persian sport of wrestling might have answers to understanding how to contain Iran
Civil Society Freedom and Prosperity
What will Raisi’s cabinet look like? Hardline and full of war vets.

IranSource Nov 1, 2024

How the death of Abdul Malik al-Houthi could impact the Houthis and Iran

By Emily Milliken and Caitlin Miller Hollingsworth

While Abdul Malik al-Houthi is still alive today, his death in the near term would impact the Houthi’s ability to operate and widen a leadership vacuum within Iran’s Resistance Axis.
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IranSource

Jun 23, 2021

What will Raisi’s cabinet look like? Hardline and full of war vets.

By Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Considering Ebrahim Raisi’s lack of experience in foreign policy and economic affairs, the success of his administration will depend to some extent on who he will pick for his cabinet.

Elections Iran

IranSource

Jun 23, 2021

Predicting the predictable: What do pre-election polls tell us about Iran’s election?

By Dara Conduit

Why were pre-election polls conducted throughout Iran's presidential campaign period if there was never any doubt of the election result? The answer lies in the election process itself.

Elections Iran

IranSource

Jun 22, 2021

An uncertain future for Iran under a minority president

By Hezha Barzani

On June 21, 2021, the Atlantic Council’s Future of Iran Initiative hosted an event to discuss the implications of Iran’s June 18 presidential elections for US-Iran relations. Read the key takeaways.

Iran Middle East

IranElections2021

Jun 15, 2021

The JCPOA but not much else: Modest expectations for US-Iran relations post Rouhani

By Barbara Slavin

For the US and Iran, an Ebrahim Raisi presidency could portend not much beyond a return to a 2015 nuclear agreement that traded limited sanctions relief for time-bound curbs on Iran’s nuclear activities.

Elections Iran

IranElections2021

Jun 14, 2021

Hemmati: The dark horse of the Iranian presidential election?

By Ali Dadpay

One wonders if the former Central Bank of Iran governor Abdolnaser Hemmati, a moderate, stands a chance. His performance in the debates and his wife’s appearance in an interview have certainly garnered attention.

Elections Iran

IranElections2021

Jun 11, 2021

Saeed Jalili: The former nuclear negotiator that rubs diplomats the wrong way

By Saeid Jafari

Saeed Jalili can be seen as a back-up candidate, who is gradually depicting himself to be a serious challenge.

Elections Iran

IranElections2021

Jun 10, 2021

With a Raisi presidency, would the Iran nuclear deal remain on the table?

By Raz Zimmt

Although Ebrahim Raisi's positions are indeed more hardline than President Hassan Rouhani's, he does not, in principle, oppose a return to the JCPOA.

Elections Iran

IranSource

Jun 3, 2021

Iran just lost one of its largest ships. It’s a major embarrassment.

By Robert Czulda

In the early hours of June 2, the venerable Iranian supply ship Kharg caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman. The loss is a major setback for the Islamic Republic, exposing not only the poor readiness of the Iranian armed forces, but also the lethality of Iran’s military equipment to its own soldiers.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Jun 1, 2021

A Raisi presidential win may be his undoing as future Supreme Leader

By Anonymous

Conventional wisdom is that the election will facilitate Ebrahim Raisi’s ascent to the real decision-making post in Iran—that of Supreme Leader. But nothing is ever certain in Iran’s contentious politics.

Elections Iran

IranElections2021

May 28, 2021

Khamenei is dropping Iran’s democratic façade

By Borzou Daragahi

The Supreme Leader for years has been agitating to find what he describes as a new generation of young and pious “revolutionaries” to take the helm of the country’s institutions. That aim may be taking priority.

Iran Middle East
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