In-depth research & reports


Report

Oct 8, 2024

A bipartisan Iran strategy for the next US administration—and the next two decades

As tensions spike in the Middle East, how should the next US president approach Iran and its network of proxies including Hezbollah and Hamas? With a strategy that can be maintained for decades, by administrations of either party. A bipartisan, expert working group lays out the details.

Iran
Middle East

Programs

Middle East Programs

Working with allies and partners in Europe and the wider Middle East to protect US interests, build peace and security, and unlock the human potential of the region.

Content

In the News

Feb 25, 2019

Slavin quoted in ThinkProgress on Iran’s supreme leader rejecting resignation of Foreign Minister Zarif

By Barbara Slavin

Read the full article here.

Iran

IranSource

Feb 25, 2019

Try taming rather than laming Iran’s missile program

By Greg Thielmann

From its early days, the Trump administration has sought to isolate and weaken the Islamic Republic of Iran, using Iran’s missile and space launch programs as a key justification. In addition to withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018, expanding extensive trade sanctions, and severely restricting travel to the US […]

Iran

Event Recap

Feb 22, 2019

A Conversation with Former Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew

By Global Business & Economics

On Tuesday, February 19, the Atlantic Council’s Global Business and Economics program’s Economic Sanction Initiative hosted a public discussion featuring former US Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew.

Economic Sanctions
Economy & Business

IranSource

Feb 22, 2019

Iran Seeks Economic Benefits From Syria

By Hamidreza Azizi

When US President Donald Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal last May, his main argument to justify the move was that the agreement had been one-sided, providing Iran with large amounts of money to finance its “destabilizing policies” throughout the Middle East.  This argument has become one of the main rationales behind Washington’s “maximum pressure” policy against Iran. […]

Iran
Syria

IranSource

Feb 21, 2019

Another Sports-Mad Iranian American Reviews Jason Rezaian’s Memoir

By David Shams

The World Cup was over, Germany winning its first world title since 1990. Looking for something else to occupy my attention, this sports-obsessed Iranian American spotted an article in The Washington Post by Jason Rezaian about baseball in the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a child of an Iranian immigrant growing up in rural Kentucky, American sports […]

Iran

In the News

Feb 20, 2019

Slavin Quoted in Washington Post on the Warsaw Summit and the row between Israel and Poland

By Barbara Slavin

Read the full article here.

Iran

IranSource

Feb 20, 2019

Gloomy observations from Iran

By Sirous Amerian

One of the criticisms of Iran analysts usually thrown around on social media is that they haven’t lived in the country, visited it for a long time or speak the language. While not as well-known as some analysts, this author speaks the language, lived in Iran for twenty-eight years until two years ago and recently […]

Iran

New Atlanticist

Feb 19, 2019

Buy-In from allies critical for effective sanctions, says former US Treasury Secretary Lew

By David A. Wemer

Sanctions can only be effective, Lew argued, if the sanctioned country believes there will be “meaningful and lasting relief” once it changes its behavior.

Economic Sanctions
Iran

In the News

Feb 19, 2019

Dagres quoted in The Telegraph on Iranian morality police

By Holly Dagres

Read the full article here.

Iran

IranSource

Feb 19, 2019

The Warsaw Summit: Not So ‘Anti-Iranian’ but Still a Success

By Robert Czulda

It is too early to assess the long-term consequences of the Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East. But for Poland and several other actors, the meeting can already been seen as a success. Poland, after hosting a NATO summit in 2016 and a UN Climate conference in 2018, […]

Iran
Israel

Experts