Iran Meets Elon
While any U.S.-Iran rapprochement could potentially ease sanctions on Iran, such a shift is poised to generate sharply divergent responses among U.S. allies.
Ali Alfoneh
Senior Fellow, AGSIW
Ali Alfoneh is a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. He is a political scientist by training and the originator of the theory of transformation of the Islamic Republic into a military dictatorship. Alfoneh first put forward the theory in the spring 2006 edition of Udenrigs, journal of The Danish Foreign Policy Society. In the United States since 2007, Alfoneh advanced the theory in a series of essays published by the American Enterprise Institute culminating in Iran Unveiled: How the Revolutionary Guards are Transforming Iran from Theocracy into Military Dictatorship published by AEI Press in April 2013. He is also the author of Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Demise of the Clergy and the Rise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (2020).
Alfoneh also created AGSIW’s Iran Media Review, a twice-weekly publication that monitors, translates, and reviews critical Persian-language media sources identifying important developments and trends in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Subscribe to receive the Iran Media Review Recap.
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Uncertain: Iran Policies of U.S. Presidential Candidates
Regardless of who prevails in November's presidential election, the next U.S. administration may contend with either a nuclear-armed or fragmented Iran.
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Iran After the Lebanon Debacle: Suppress Domestic Dissent and Dash for the Bomb?
Undeterred by the politically and militarily decapitated Hezbollah, Israel is free to target critical components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and Iran's perceived weakness may fuel domestic opposition.
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Pezeshkian's Proposed Cabinet: The Art of the Possible
The Cabinet picks of Iran’s new president, largely technocrats, reflects Pezeshkian’s preference for consensus and continuity of former President Hassan Rouhani's foreign and economic policies.
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Pezeshkian's Presidency: Covenant and Crisis?
President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian has a popular mandate to pursue domestic reforms and rebalance Iran’s foreign policy, but he is likely to face opposition from powerful forces at home and abroad.
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Militarized: National Security Decision Making in Iran
Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s new book highlights the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' dominance in national security decision making.
In Conversation With Ali Alfoneh: Does Iran’s Presidential Election Matter?
On July 11, AGSIW hosted a discussion on Iran's presidential election.
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Presidential Election in Iran: Low Turnout Boosts Jalili's Chances
While Masoud Pezeshkian faces considerable challenges in the second round of the election, the pro-regime vote is likely to ensure Saeed Jalili's victory.
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Iran's Presidential Hopefuls: Strongman, Surgeon, and Pen Pusher
Three candidates have a realistic chance in Iran’s presidential election: strongman Qalibaf, reformist surgeon Pezeshkian, and zealot pen pusher Jalili.
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Under the Shadow of the War: Israel and Hezbollah
By increasing attacks to the north, Israel may be aiming to provoke Hezbollah into a disproportionate response, justifying a harsher, more prolonged Israeli military response and in effect prolonging the war in Gaza.
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Presidential Election in Iran: Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Guardian Council has again presented the Iranian public with presidential candidates who lack a political program, a social base, and the ability to mobilize voters.
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Crash of Ayatollah Khamenei's Succession Plans
Regardless of who becomes Iran’s next president or who succeeds Khamenei as head of state, there is little prospect for significant change in Iran's foreign and security policy.
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Iran's Lessons Learned From Direct Confrontation With Israel
Iran's recent experiences may bolster the influence of factions within the regime advocating for a shift in Iran's nuclear strategy.
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The U.S. Prevented War, Yet Iran’s Strategic Decision-Making Process Remains Flawed
The crisis between Iran and Israel may be contained for now, but the breakdown in decision making that led to the end of Iran’s “strategic patience” carries risks going forward.
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Iran's 2024 Elections: Vote Without Voters
Does a voter boycott matter in a country that is not a democracy, and is there a correlation between lack of electoral participation and political violence?
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The End of Mandatory Hijab in Iran?
Should the Islamic Republic utilize the March 1 elections to end effective enforcement of the hijab law, it will remove a source of constant friction between state and society in Iran, but the regime will also lose an instrument of intimidating the urban middle class.
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Iran: Republic of Distrust
Forty-five years after the revolution and establishment of the Islamic Republic, the regime in Tehran is not only widely distrusted but has also sown the seeds of distrust among Iranians.
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Iran: Republic of God in an Increasingly Secular Society
Having failed to shape the society to its liking, can the Islamic Republic adapt to a society that is increasingly demanding separation between religion and state?
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What Do Recent Fatalities Reveal About the Quds Force and IRGC?
Targeted assassinations of skilled engineers, seasoned commanders, and intelligence operatives are no doubt taking a toll on the IRGC and the Quds Force but not enough for Iran to reconsider its attempt at containing the perceived threat from Israel.
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Iran Leadership Succession: Former President Rouhani Disqualified
While no immediate threat to the Islamic Republic’s survival, the gradual shrinking of the ruling elites presents a long-term threat to the regime in Iran.
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AGSIW Outlook 2024: Gulf Transformations Amid Uncertainty
AGSIW experts explain the regional trends they’ll be following most closely as the year unfolds.
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Obscure Track Record of Quds Force Deputy Fallahzadeh
Quds Force chief Brigadier General Ismail Qaani is likely to be succeeded by his deputy, but the role Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh currently plays in the organization remains obscure.
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Lebanese Hezbollah Fatalities Since the Beginning of the War in Gaza
Reports on Hezbollah’s fatalities provide some insight into the structure of Hezbollah’s military units and strengthen the perception of a relatively low risk of the war expanding into Lebanon.
2024 Outlook
On January 9, AGSIW hosted a virtual roundtable with its leadership and scholars as they looked ahead and assessed trends likely to shape the Gulf region and U.S. foreign policy during the coming year.
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ISIL’s Attack Will Not Weaken the Regime in Tehran
If history is any indication, the latest ISIL attack in Iran may serve to rally Iranians around the flag against a terrorist enemy and even strengthen the regime.
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Khamenei’s Succession Dilemma: To Name or Not to Name a Successor-Designate?
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei presumably wants to choose his successor, but he cannot publicly name one without creating a rival undermining his own authority.
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Deciphering Quds Force Chief Qaani’s Words
Brigadier General Ismail Qaani’s public remarks offer some insights into the fundamental tenets of his thinking and ability to deal with delicate political problems, however they do not reveal Suleimani-style coded messages to the United States and Israel.
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Tactical Theatrics: Iranian Proxies and Allies Respond to the War in Gaza
Iran and its allies appear to be engaged in symbolic actions against Israeli and U.S. forces rather than openly provoking a war, but these theatrics still risk igniting a regional war all involved parties want to avoid.
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Is Quds Force Chief Qaani Likely to Open a Hezbollah Front Against Israel?
While there are ways Hezbollah could become involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict, neither Hezbollah nor Iran appears interested in a wider regional war.
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A Method to Movements? Tracking Quds Force Chief Qaani
Quds Force chief Ismail Qaani’s foreign visits reveal minor anomalies regarding Palestinian affairs.
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The Regime in Tehran: Neither Invulnerable nor on Its Deathbed
The Iranian regime has its weaknesses, but, for now, there is no prospect of the regime’s imminent collapse.
Will the Israel-Hamas Conflict Spell the End of Regional Reconciliation?
On October 12, AGSIW hosted a discussion on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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Arab-Israeli Tragedy, Quds Force Chief’s Victory
As long as the nature or degree of Iran’s involvement in the conflict between Israel and Hamas is disputed, Tehran will continue to reap rewards.
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Envy and Admiration: Iranian Perspectives on Saudi Arabia’s Diplomatic Maneuvers
Iran may look to emulate Saudi Arabia in its efforts to reorient its foreign policy and establish a more balanced position in relations with the great powers of the East and West.
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A Quick Take on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Since 1989 to Take Ahmadian’s Measure
Iran’s newly appointed Supreme National Security Council secretary appears to be part of the unofficial collective leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. As such, he cannot be expected to play the role of an honest broker among the regime’s competing factions.
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What to Expect From Iran’s New Supreme National Security Council Secretary
As SNSC secretary, Rear Admiral Ali Akbar Ahmadian will doubtlessly try to put his experiences and writings to good use, but on all counts, he is likely to side with his comrades in the IRGC.
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Who Is Iran’s New Supreme National Security Council Secretary?
Rather than a change of policy, the appointment of Ali Akbar Ahmadian may be more about who gets credit for Iran’s diplomatic initiatives.
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Sultan Haitham the Mediator
With Sultan Haitham’s planned trip to Tehran to mediate between Iran and the United States, the Omani leader appears to be following his predecessor’s path as a regional interlocutor.
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Iran and Saudi Arabia: Fragile Managed Rivalry
Tehran and Riyadh have agreed to restore diplomatic relations, however, every actor who stands to lose from the agreement has strong incentives to sabotage it.
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The Iranian Opposition Abroad: Lack of Unity Limits Prospects
As long as the Iranian opposition lacks leadership, organization, and a shared vision for Iran’s future, it is unlikely to pose any serious challenge to the current Iranian regime.
Iranian Protests and Tehran’s Regional Role
On February 14, AGSIW hosted a discussion on Iran's regional relationships amid ongoing protests.
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Iran’s 2022-23 Protests: Why Has the Regime Survived?
The answer to this question can, in part, be found in the institutionalized nature of the Islamic Republic as well as the regime’s externalization of the crisis, ruthlessness, and pragmatism.
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Iran’s 2022-23 Protests in Perspective
More widespread, protracted, and violent, the evolution of protests under the Islamic Republic suggests a dangerous trajectory for the regime.
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AGSIW Outlook 2023: Rapprochement, Competition, and Tensions
AGSIW experts explain the regional trends they’ll be following most closely as the year unfolds.
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The Root Cause of Anti-Regime Protests in Iran: Modernization Without Democratization
The Iranian regime is unwilling, or unable, to adapt to a society it has transformed over the past four decades.
2023 Outlook
AGSIW hosted a virtual private roundtable with its leadership and scholars as they looked ahead and assessed trends likely to shape the Gulf region and U.S. foreign policy during the coming year.
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Neither Bread nor Freedom in Iran
Protests are likely to continue flaring up in Iran as a function of the regime’s attempt at modernizing the country while denying personal and political freedoms to the children of modernization.
Succession in Iran: Who Will Be the Next Supreme Leader?
On September 22, AGSIW hosted a discussion on political succession in Iran.
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What If Ayatollah Khamenei Had Not Been Resurrected From His “Death Bed”?
No matter who succeeds the supreme leader, the IRGC will be the most likely kingmaker.
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Does Iran Want the Nuke and How Fast?
Iranian leaders may find the current international circumstances more amenable to a dash to nuclear deterrence. But the risks are truly grave.
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Iran’s Nuclear Option: Negotiation Tactics or Strategic Shift Encouraged by Russia?
Rather than attempts at empowering negotiators in Vienna, recent statements on Iran’s nuclear program may reflect changed calculations based on Russia’s green light to Iran opting for the nuclear bomb.
What Did Biden's Trip Achieve for the United States and Its Middle East Partners?
On July 19, AGSIW hosted a discussion examining President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s visit to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, and Saudi Arabia and considering implications for relations with the United States' partners in the region.
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Bread Riots in Iran, Intransigence in Vienna
Are domestic protests over economic conditions likely to increase Iran’s willingness to come to a final agreement with the United States to restore the JCPOA?
International and Regional Involvement in the Middle East
“International and Regional Involvement in the Middle East" is a bimonthly workshop series launched in September 2021, co-hosted by AGSIW and the University of Haifa.
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AGSIW Outlook: Trends and Developments That Will Shape the Gulf in 2022
AGSIW experts explain the regional trends they’ll be following most closely as the year unfolds.
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Triangular Travails: Iran, the Gulf Arab States, and the United States
Iran and the Gulf Arab states may be sincere in their attempts to reduce regional tensions, but the nuclear crisis casts dark clouds over the region’s security dynamics.
2022 Outlook
AGSIW's leadership and scholars assessed trends likely to shape the Gulf region and U.S. foreign policy in 2022.
UAE Security Forum 2021: U.S.-Gulf Relations in a Changing Region
From December 7-9, UAESF 2021 assessed geopolitical trends in the region.
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Iran’s Strategic Lessons Learned
What factors explain the transformation in Tehran’s strategic thinking and behavior, and what will be the trajectory under the new president?
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Iran Gets a New President and a Supreme Leader in Waiting
Long rumored to be the favorite to succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi will use the presidency as a steppingstone.
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Engineering Presidential Elections in Iran: Coronation of Raisi
By narrowing the range of choice, Iran’s supreme leader and the Guardian Council effectively eliminate competition and reduce electoral participation, increasing the chances of their favorite candidate: Chief Justice Ebrahim Raisi.
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Presidential Elections in Iran: Procedures, Candidates, and the Persistent Clout of Key Institutions
Most speculation about the candidates and outcome of Iran’s upcoming presidential election appears premature, and assessments about potential impact on U.S.-Iranian relations seem exaggerated.
2021 Outlook
AGSIW hosted a virtual private roundtable with its leadership and scholars as they looked ahead to assess trends likely to shape the Gulf region during the coming year.
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AGSIW Outlook 2021
AGSIW experts explain what regional trends they’ll be following most closely as the year unfolds.
Roundtable Discussion on Iraq
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Iraq Business Council, in partnership with AGSIW, hosted a roundtable discussion on the latest developments in Iraq and the region featuring Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman and Ali Alfoneh.
Iraq Briefing
AGSIW held a briefing on Iraq for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs with Ambassador Douglas A. Silliman, Hussein Ibish, Ali Alfoneh, and Ambassador Feisal al-Istrabadi.
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After the Embargo: Iran’s Weapons Agenda
The lifting of the arms embargo is not likely to result in an Iranian buying spree. But, the Islamic Republic’s arms exports in the post-embargo era may prove as significant as its potential procurements.
After the Embargo: Iran's Weapons Agenda and Its Regional Impact
On October 15, AGSIW hosted a virtual panel discussion on the implications of Iran's weapons agenda.
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As Iran’s Elite Fall Victim to Coronavirus, Succession Questions Arise
None of Iran’s leadership hopefuls can seize power without IRGC support, and any future leader of the Islamic Republic will be beholden to the IRGC.
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Iran Chooses a Harsher Tone as it Reacts to the Bahrain-Israel Rapprochement
The normalization of relations with Israel provides another grievance Tehran can use to mobilize Bahrain’s Shias against their rulers.
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IRGC Academic Journals Acknowledge Protests Often Driven by Regime Missteps
Authors of articles published by Imam Hussein University of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps see the real challenges the regime is facing from the unprivileged slumdwellers and the politicized middle class and its grievances.
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Iran Reacts Angrily to the UAE-Israel Landmark Agreement
The Islamic Republic has yet to realize taking such a posture toward its Arab neighbors further encourages them to align with Iran’s adversaries.
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IRGC’s Military Drills’ Message Aimed at the U.S. and a Domestic Iranian Audience
The IRGC’s military exercises are little more than ineffective political propaganda.
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Strategic Partnership Agreement With China Represents Lifeline for Iran
The Iran-China agreement appears as a framework for cooperation. Its realization depends on external factors over which Iran has no influence.
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What Iran’s Military Journals Reveal About the Role of Missiles in Strategic Deterrence
A pilot survey of Imam Hussein University academic journals shows the limits of academic freedom in the Islamic Republic, save a few pieces reflecting the Iranian leadership’s view of the role of missiles in strategic deterrence.
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Constants in Iran’s Security Policy Under the Pahlavi Regime and the Islamic Republic
Survival supersedes ideology, and the ruling elites of the Islamic Republic find themselves adhering to the constants in security policy of a predecessor they vilify.
A New Iraqi Government and the Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces
On June 10, AGSIW hosted a virtual panel discussion examining the future of the Popular Mobilization Forces and their relationship with the new Iraqi government.
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What Iran’s Military Journals Reveal About the Goals of the Quds Force
A pilot survey of the complete series of two journals published by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Imam Hussein University provides valuable information about the internal deliberations of the Quds Force.
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Rare Criticism of IRGC Rooted in Iran’s Military Rivalry
The regime-instigated and nurtured rivalry between the army and the IRGC has reached a point where it undermines the regime.
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The Quds Force After Suleimani
Under its new leadership, the Quds Force is no longer a popular mobilization force but commands a multinational Shia army and remains the dominant force within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The IRGC Quds Force After Suleimani
On May 26, AGSIW hosted a virtual panel discussion examining new IRGC leadership and how the killing of Suleimani is likely to change Iran’s grand strategy and Quds Force operations in Iraq and beyond.
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Keep Your Enemies Closer: Iran and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue
While the long-term objective of Tehran may well be to expel all great powers from the Middle East, in the short term, Iran benefits from the U.S. presence in Iraq.
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Iran’s Missile Program Delivers Both Triumph and Tragedy
The Iranian friendly fire incident that killed 19 Iranian sailors on May 10 points to the inconsistencies of the regime’s leadership and makes one of its sources of pride into a liability.
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The Art of the Possible: Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s Cabinet
Mustafa al-Kadhimi seems to have succeeded where his predecessors mostly failed, forming a Cabinet mainly composed of technocrats, academics, and respected national military figures.
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"The Lesser of Two Evils”: Quds Force Commentary on Iraq’s Prime Minister-Designate
For reasons of self-interest, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force officers are trying to persuade Iran's Iraq allies to support Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
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Iraq: Balancing Party Demands is a Recipe for Paralysis in New Government
Efforts by the prime minister-designate to win parliamentary support cannot come at the expense of articulating coherent policy.
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Are Tehran and a Key Ally Really at Odds Over the Iraqi Prime Minister-Designate?
Tehran and Kataib Hezbollah's conflicting reactions to Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi reflect a division of labor rather than poor coordination.
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Succession Crisis in Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces
While it took the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps less than 24 hours to replace Major General Qassim Suleimani, Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces is suffering more from its leadership succession woes.
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Iran’s Patient Zero: The Islamic Republic
Strategic relations with China, domestic political considerations, and religious taboos all prevented an earlier and more effective response by the Iranian government toward the country's coronavirus crisis.
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Khamenei’s New Parliament: Cohesive, But Unrepresentative
The supreme leader’s engineering of Iran's parliamentary elections may help the regime to manage the multiple crises it is facing. But there will be consequences for narrowing the circle of the ruling elites and restricting the path for political participation for Iranian citizens.
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2020 Outlook: What AGSIW Will Be Tracking This Year
AGSIW experts explain what regional trends they’ll be following most closely as the year unfolds.
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U.S.-Iranian Tensions: The Iranian Regime
Ali Alfoneh discusses the Islamic Republic's strategic options following the killing of Quds Force commander Major General Qassim Suleimani.
2020 Vision: AGSIW Assesses Threats and Opportunities in the Gulf
On January 8, AGSIW hosted a conversation considering the trends likely to shape the Gulf region in 2020.
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Who is the New Chief Commander of Iran’s Quds Force?
Under the leadership of Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, there is likely to be greater continuity than change in the Quds Force.
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The Fractured Bureaucracy Behind Tehran’s Response to November Protests
Iran's supreme leader demanded the establishment of a "war room" to safeguard the regime against economic pressure from the United States. This left politicians and bureaucracies engaged in a blame game as the Islamic Republic faced mass protest.
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The Supreme Leader’s Perilous Crisis Management
As supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot exonerate himself from the government’s decision to adjust the fuel price, and as commander in chief, he must shoulder responsibility for the deaths, injuries, and arrests of protesters.
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Iran’s November Protests in Perspective
As long as U.S. sanctions are in place, Iran is likely to encounter more unrest. How the recent crisis compares to earlier crises in the Islamic Republic may provide insights into the regime’s behavior in future protests.
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Tehran Unveils New Approach to Information Warfare
Recent protests provided the Islamic Republic with an opportunity to test drive an internet blackout and the Iranian intranet.
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Unprepared: The Islamic Republic Confronts Fuel Protests
Iran’s leadership has for years downplayed the impact of sanctions on the economy. Now that President Hassan Rouhani and the regime are compelled to make economic adjustments, they are facing predictable public anger and protests for which they were unprepared.
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Can the Islamic Republic Survive Economic Collapse?
Under the weight of the United States' “maximum pressure” campaign, Iran is inching toward economic collapse. But this does not necessarily entail the collapse of the political order.
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Iran Reactivates Fordow Uranium Enrichment Center
Reactivating the Fordow uranium enrichment center is neither the first nor the last countermeasure of Tehran’s against Washington’s “maximum pressure” campaign.
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Iran’s Imperial Overreach
As anti-government protests spread like wildfire threatening the Islamic Republic’s allies and proxies, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei faces a dilemma: use Iran’s scarce resources to stabilize regional protests or leave them to their own devices and risk a fight with the IRGC.
As Maximum Pressure and Maximum Resistance Max Out, Where's the Confrontation With Iran Headed?
AGSIW examines the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran.
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Tehran’s Strategy: Heroic Flexibility, Strategic Patience, or Active Resistance?
Iran's political factions appear to have their own distinct perceptions of the Trump administration’s Iran policy and try hard to take advantage of that policy in their factional struggle for power.
The Islamic Republic at 40: Succession and Direction after Khamenei
As the Islamic Republic commemorates the 40th anniversary of the 1979 revolution, the Iranian regime is facing considerable internal and external challenges.
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Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran
In this video, Ali Alfoneh discusses how theocracy is evolving into a military dictatorship led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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Political Succession in the Islamic Republic of Iran: The Rise of the Revolutionary Guards
The political dynamics during the transitions in Iran in 1979 and 1989 reveal a number of similar features that will play into who will succeed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; what is new now is the role the IRGC is playing in the factional power struggle.
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The War in Syria is Transforming the IRGC into an Expeditionary Force
The metamorphosis of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps into an expeditionary force as a result of the Syrian war bodes ill for the United States and its allies in the Middle East, who will likely encounter a more confrontational Islamic Republic in the future.
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Limited Iranian Losses in Iraq Do Not Indicate Lesser Strategic Interest
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps only suffered 43 losses during the fight against ISIL in Iraq. But this is not a sign that Tehran lacks an interest in Iraqi affairs.
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The Heavy Price of Lebanese Hezbollah’s Military Engagement in Syria
Hezbollah has paid a heavy price to secure the survival of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which also secures Hezbollah’s overland lifeline to Tehran.
Back to Sanctions: How Will Iran Balance Regional Ambitions and Domestic Stability?
On September 26, Ali Alfoneh, Bessma Momani, Seyed Hossein Mousavian, and moderator Hussein Ibish discussed the Trump administration's reimposition of sanctions on Iran.
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Iran’s Support of Iraqi Shia Militias Ensures Dependency and Loyalty
CENTCOM’s release of interrogation reports of Qais al-Khazali and a survey of combat fatalities shed new light on Iran’s relationship with Shia militias in Iraq.
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Fractured Iraqi Shia Militias in Syria
In the midst of the civil war in Iraq, and as ISIL was threatening the central government in Baghdad, why were Iraqi Shias prioritizing Syria instead of defending Baghdad?
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Rouhani, the IRGC, and Negotiations with Washington
The war of words between Washington and Tehran is giving way to a more conciliatory tone, including even hints at direct and unconditional talks between the two capitals, even while U.S.
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Iran: Neither Bread nor Freedom
On July 31, the Islamic Republic was once again shaken by rallies beginning in Gohardasht, in Alborz province, and Isfahan, the third largest city in Iran, as Iranians took to the streets to protest rising prices.
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Four Decades in the Making: Shia Afghan Fatemiyoun Division of the Revolutionary Guards
Iran has provided support to Shia and Sunni Afghan militants for four decades, increasing its presence to fill the power vacuum.
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Using Syria as a Training Ground: The Case of the Pakistani Zeinabiyoun Brigade
The Zeinabiyoun Brigade remains one of the least known and most understudied foreign Shia militias operating in Syria.
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Tehran’s Expendable Yemenis
Somewhere in Iran’s holy city of Qom the Islamic Republic is educating the next generation of Muslim revolutionaries: young people from all over the world lured to Iran by a mixture of idealism, adventure, and opportunism.
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Tehran Will Fight Hard to Keep Iraq in Its Sphere of Influence
There was a time when Iran’s Major General Qassim Suleimani, chief of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was the ultimate kingmaker in Iraqi politics.
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Iran-Russia Divide over Syria Widens
Just as Israel intensified its air raids against Iranian military targets in Syria, Russia began distancing itself from Iran, demanding the withdrawal of Iranian and allied Shia militias from that country.