A Strategic Conundrum: Pakistan’s Transit Corridor to Iran as Lifeline or Liability
The US-Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz — disruptive to global trade and energy flows, and devastating for debt-burdened economies — has handed Pakistan an unexpected geoeconomic opportunity, one that may persist even if the framework agreement announced on June 14 results in a lasting peace and permanent reopening of the strait. But seizing it will have interlocking consequences for Islamabad’s ties with Tehran, Washington, and the Gulf states.
Iran: What’s Next for US Policy as the Region Seeks to Move On
As the US and Iran move to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the war’s real lesson lies in how Gulf states rapidly adapted — building pipelines, ports, and rail to bypass the chokepoint. Washington should seize this momentum, pursuing a “long game” of regional connectivity that serves shared security and economic interests.
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2012 Annual Conference – New Horizons, New Challenges: The Middle East in 2013
Iran’s Abuse of its Own People a Humanitarian Catastrophe
This article was first published by iPolitics.ca on October 15, 2012
Assertions and opinions in this publication are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
Khamenei and Iran's 2013 elections
This article was first published by Jane’s Islamic Affairs Analyst.
Assertions and opinions in this publication are solely those of the above-mentioned author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Middle East Institute, which expressly does not take positions on Middle East policy.
Iran Spins Morsi Visit
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had high hopes for the visit to Tehran by new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. His trip on Thursday for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit might have been brief — his spokesman emphasized ahead of time that he would spend only four hours on Iranian soil, including getting stuck in traffic — but Iran’s leaders relished the opportunity to demonstrate progress in overcoming its isolation in the Arab world and to gain some democratic and revolutionary legitimacy by proxy.
Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead
MEI Podcast Tue, 8/14/2012 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead
MEI Podcast Tue, 8/14/2012 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead
MEI Podcast Tue, 8/14/2012 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead
MEI Podcast Tue, 8/14/2012 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead
Policy and War: On the Brink with Iran
“War is merely the continuation of policy by other means.” – Clause von Clausewitz
Considering Diplomacy and War
Prospects for U.S.-Iran Relations on the Nuclear Issue in the Year Ahead
Principal Authors: Allen Keiswetter and Roby Barrett
Contributing MEI Scholars and Guests:
Geneive Abdo, Reza Akbari, Roby Barrett, Charles Dunne,Philip Frayne, George Harris, Mark N. Katz (George Mason University), Allen Keiswetter, David Mack, Melissa Mahle (C&O Resources), Richard Murphy, Greg Myre, Michael Ryan, Paul Scham, Daniel Serwer, Alex Vatanka, Marvin Weinbaum, Wayne White, Philip Wilcox, Molly Williamson
America's Catch-22: The Iran Question in Afghanistan
This Opinion first appeared in Frontline.com’s Tehran Bureau on June 13, 2012 and was co-authored by Christina Lin
As U.S. and other NATO troops prepare to leave Afghanistan in 2014, a geopolitical realignment will be under way in Southwest Asia. One possible scenario would outright undermine a principle U.S. policy objective in the region: the containment of Iran.
'Reality Check' for Iran Nuclear Talks
This Opinion first appeared on CNN.com on May 21, 2012
Iran is set for nuclear talks Wednesday with members of the U.N. Security Council, and the Obama administration, as well as some Iranian and European Union officials, expressed optimism that a compromise will be reached. But it is useful to examine Israel’s long-term objectives for a bit of a reality check.
Understanding Iranian Foreign Policy
Originally posted January 2009
Understanding Iran’s foreign policy is the key to crafting sensible and effective policies toward Iran and requires, above all, a close analysis of the profound cultural and psychological contexts of Iranian foreign policy behavior.
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