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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The Art of the (Russian-Israeli) Deal

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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The Art of the (Russian-Israeli) Deal

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

The Art of the (Russian-Israeli) Deal

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.

Conflict
Iran

Content

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on June 25, 2012.

IranSource

Jun 15, 2018

The Art of the (Russian-Israeli) Deal

By Ehud Eiran

On June 1, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya told the press that he “believes” that his country and Israel reached an agreement regarding “certain disengagement in the southwest of Syria.” Other sources reported that the agreement will include the withdrawal of Iranian and Iranian-backed forces from the Syrian-Israeli border in return for implicit […]

Iran Israel

IranSource

Jun 14, 2018

Trump’s Iran Policy: From the Art of the Deal to the Mirage of Regime Change

By Manochehr Dorraj and Mahmood Monshipouri

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used his first speech in his new position on May 21, 2018, to send a message to the Iranian leadership and people. Pompeo laid out twelve demands including ending Iran’s ballistic missiles development, halting support for Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian groups including Hamas, allowing nuclear inspectors “unqualified access to […]

European Union International Organizations

IranSource

Jun 13, 2018

Cracks in Iran-Russia Alliance in Syria Widen as War Winds Down

By Farhad Rezaei

As the Syrian government increasingly consolidates control over its territory after seven years of civil strife, cracks are widening between its key external supporters, Iran and Russia. The issue of Syria’s future has generated a heated debate among political elites in Tehran and in Farsi media over Iran’s continued military presence and how it can […]

Iran Russia

IranSource

Jun 11, 2018

US Withdrawal from Iran Deal Hits Young Iranians Hard

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

When Iran reached a landmark nuclear agreement with the international community in 2015, Iranian youth were especially happy. After struggling with sanctions and isolation for many years, young people hoped their country was entering a new chapter in which it would be seen as a constructive actor on the international stage. They were proud of […]

Iran

IranSource

Jun 8, 2018

Why Internet Freedom in Iran is More Important Than Ever

By Holly Dagres

A female truck driver in a burgundy headscarf stood on the side of a highway to Mashhad, explaining in a video sent to Voice of America Persian that she was joining a truck driver strike. It wasn’t long before the video and others like it caught the attention of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). […]

Iran

IranSource

Jun 7, 2018

Sanctions or Self-Sabotage? The story of Iran’s oil industry

By Ellen Wald

Following the lifting of international sanctions in January 2016, there was a great deal of optimism for Iran’s oil economy. Even though the global oil industry was a year into a price collapse, many companies were eager to explore investment opportunities in Iran’s neglected oil and gas assets. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Iran’s oil […]

Iran Oil and Gas

IranSource

Jun 6, 2018

US Asian Allies Should Take a More Active Role in Preserving the Iran Deal

By Sirous Amerian

In negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Barack Obama administration had goals beyond non-proliferation. It was seeking to “pivot” to Asia and to reduce US military involvement in the Persian Gulf that dates back to the 1979 Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This goal, which was ennunciated before Obama […]

Iran

IranSource

Jun 4, 2018

Debate Heats up in Iran over Leaving the Nuclear Deal

By Farhad Rezaei

Since President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement on May 8, political debates in Tehran over leaving or remaining a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have become increasingly tense. The twelve steep demands outlined by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on May 21 as supposed ingredients for […]

Iran

IranSource

May 31, 2018

‘Futsal’ and the Politics of Women’s Sports in Iran

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

Iranian women have excelled in the sport of “futsal,” a variation of soccer played on a smaller, hard court. The Iranian team in May 2018 reconfirmed its top position in Asian futsal, winning the championship match 5-2 over Japan with a dazzling five goals in the second half. Success in the sport has brought pride […]

Iran

IranSource

May 30, 2018

Great Power Competition in Iran as the US Exits the Arena

By Ali Scotten

US President Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal, and thus re-impose broad sanctions against the Islamic Republic, sends a clear signal that Washington has reverted to a full containment policy against Tehran. But, lacking a clear overarching Middle East strategy, US policymakers do not appear to be weighing the merits of this […]

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