Iran’s regional ambitions are not going anywhere

Dispatches Jan 28, 2026

The expert conversation: Should Trump strike Iran? What happens next if he does?

By Jason M. Brodsky and Danny Citrinowicz

As the USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in the Middle East, two experts debate the opportunities, uncertainties, and risks of a US strike on Iran.
Iran Middle East
Iran’s regional ambitions are not going anywhere

Dispatches Jan 23, 2026

What Trump could do next in Iran

By Nate Swanson

As a US carrier strike group nears the Persian Gulf, what options does US President Donald Trump have to strike against the Iranian regime?
Iran Middle East
Iran’s regional ambitions are not going anywhere

MENASource Jan 14, 2026

Voices from Iran: As rejection of government reaches all-time high, Iranians also wary of foreign intervention

By Tara Kangarlou

If Trump is serious about peace, stability, and a lasting legacy, the path forward does not run through air strikes or transactional deals with a failing theocracy.
Civil Society Crisis Management

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Content

IranSource

Apr 10, 2020

Iran’s regional ambitions are not going anywhere

By Raz Zimmt

Time and time again, Iran has proved that, despite its limitations and weaknesses, it manages to hold on and turn threats into opportunities that preserve not only the regime’s survival, but its regional influence, as well.

Iran Middle East

In the News

Apr 9, 2020

Aman in Iran International: Discussing the South Asia Center’s video conference on Covid-19 in Iran, Afghanistan, and densely populated border regions

By Atlantic Council

Afghanistan Coronavirus

Timely Commentary & Analysis

Apr 9, 2020

The unique challenges posed by COVID-19 in Iran and Afghanistan

By South Asia Center

The following interview was conducted on April 7th, 2020. On the 7th of April 2020, the South Asia Center and the Future of Iran Initiative hosted a virtual panel on Iran and Afghanistan’s public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic, moderated by Nonresident Senior Fellow Fatemeh Aman. The panel consisted of Dr. Fatima Rezaei, Iran Country […]

Afghanistan Coronavirus

In the News

Apr 7, 2020

Slavin quoted in Jewish News Syndicate on US-Taliban deal

By Atlantic Council

Afghanistan Iran

IranSource

Apr 7, 2020

Iranian prisoners left behind amid COVID chaos

By Mehrnaz Samimi

Even before the current crisis, the situation in prisons was becoming difficult to manage due to a poor economy and crippling US sanctions. Prisoners, regardless of their crimes or location of incarceration, are terrified of being forgotten or left without medical care. Overcrowding makes them susceptible to contracting COVID-19 and other diseases.

Coronavirus Iran

IranSource

Apr 6, 2020

Why a new nuclear deal with Iran is needed now

By Pierre Goldschmidt

There is thus no alternative to behind the scenes good faith negotiations with all the parties to hammer out a new agreement. The best guarantee that Iran's nuclear program is and will remain exclusively peaceful would be for Iran to adopt the so-called "nuclear gold standard”—a legally binding obligation to forswear enrichment and reprocessing technology. Iran, however, has repeatedly stated that it will never give up what it considers its right under the NPT to enrich uranium.

Coronavirus Iran

New Atlanticist

Apr 6, 2020

Lift Iran sanctions, but hit back hard if necessary

By Frederic C. Hof

Only by suspending sanctions explicitly and across-the-board can the United States make a critical point directly to the people of Iran: Americans care about your health and well-being, even as your rulers suffocate you with breathtaking incompetence, bottomless corruption, and an appetite for violent aggression that wastes vital resources for the benefit of the lowest political lifeforms in the Arab world.

Coronavirus Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

IranSource

Apr 3, 2020

Pressure mounts on Trump to ease sanctions on Iran amid COVID-19 outbreak

By Negar Mortazavi

Members of Congress, world leaders, international organizations, editorial boards, and civil society activists are calling on the Trump administration to lift sanctions on Iran, at least temporarily, while the country fights the coronavirus pandemic.

Coronavirus Iran

In the News

Apr 2, 2020

Slavin quoted in Al Jazeera on coronavirus in Iran

By Atlantic Council

Coronavirus Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

IranSource

Apr 2, 2020

Separating fact from fiction and fate: Assessing Iran’s response to COVID-19

By Borzou Daragahi

Iran has one of the best medical and public health infrastructures in the Middle East, exporting its cadre of physicians abroad for decades. But the crisis has revealed a nation where politics and appearances trump public safety.

Coronavirus Iran
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Experts

Fellow

Carmiel Arbit

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Civil Society Extremism

Fellow

Colin Brooks

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

Iran Middle East

Fellow

Hagar Hajjar Chemali

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Economic Statecraft Initiative GeoEconomics Center

Economy & Business Financial Sanctions and Economic Coercion

Fellow

Danny Citrinowicz  

Nonresident Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Arabic Cybersecurity

Fellow

Ariel Cohen

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Eurasia Center

Central Asia Politics & Diplomacy

Fellow

Jonathan Fulton

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

China Chinese
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Events

Public Event Fri, February 27, 2026 • 1:00 pm ET

Reporters at risk: Navigating Iran’s internet blackout
Iran Middle East Resilience Resilience & Society
Online Event Tue, March 3, 2026 • 10:00 am ET

Holding enablers accountable: The Islamic Republic of Iran’s role in Russia’s drone war
Civil Society Conflict Crisis Management Iran