Abandoned by China, Iran Gravitates Toward Russia’s Orbit
The February 7 edition of the Iran Media Review explores increasing economic ties between Iran and Russia.
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).
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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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Bad Journalism or Declaration of Intent? Javan Newspaper on UAE Investment Security
The February 3 edition of the Iran Media Review asks what is behind an argument for expanding Iranian-Omani trade relations.
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Javan Newspaper: “Why is the Opposition Incapable of Finding a Leader?”
The January 31 edition of the Iran Media Review assesses IRGC commentary on the shortcomings of leadership candidates for the opposition.
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Media Reflections on the “Women of Influence Congress” in Iran
The January 27 edition of the Iran Media Review explores commentary regarding the contradiction over the regime honoring foreign women while Iranian women are still imprisoned for participating in political protests.
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Neglected, Poor, and Protesting: Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province
The January 24 edition of the Iran Media Review highlights local government criticism over Tehran’s negligence in the province.
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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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Javan Newspaper on “Legal Status” of the Followers of the Bahai Faith
The January 20 edition of the Iran Media Review highlights articles illustrating injustices for Iran’s Bahai population.
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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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Iranian Columnists Fear Losing Control Over Iraq More Than What a Soccer Tournament is Named
The January 17 edition of the Iran Media Review evaluates Iranian reactions to Iraq’s hosting of the “Arabian Gulf Cup” soccer tournament.