Region Related Event Feeds

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: The Impact of China and Russia

ecurran — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

US and Iranian Strategic Competition In Sanctions, Energy, Arms Control, and Arms Transfers

sherry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Tightening sanctions and Iran’s reactions have become a race against time. Every day brings a new event as the competition between the US and Iran plays out on a global level. The Burke Chair at CSIS is issuing a new report that puts this competition in a broader perspective, as part of its on-going series on US and Iranian strategic competition.

Iran Sanctions and Oil Market Implications

kate — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Q: With tensions escalating between Iran and the West as both the United States and Europe prepare to impose additional sanctions, Iranian threats to close the Strait of Hormuz have driven up oil prices and sent purchasers scurrying to find replacement barrels. What is the likelihood of Iran following through on the threat, and what are the implications for the oil market?

Critical Issues for 2012

sherry — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Ahmadinejad in the Americas: Part 2

sherry — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s trip to Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Ecuador got off to an uncertain start Sunday, with no word whether he would add a fifth stop in order to attend the inauguration of Guatemalan president-elect Otto Pérez Molina on January 14.

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Ahmadinejad in the Americas—What Is Iran Up To?

sherry — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Without leaving Tehran, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s upcoming tour of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Ecuador has already been successful at feeding fears of a minor Persian invasion. This will make a half-dozen trips he has made to the region since he was initially elected in 2005. (George W.

Iran and the Threat to "Close" the Gulf

sherry — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

There is nothing new about Iran’s threat to close the Gulf, but it does need to be put in context. Iran is reshaping its military forces to steadily increase the threat to Gulf shipping and shipping in the Gulf of Oman, It also is gradually increasing its ability to operate in the Indian Ocean.

The Real Outcome of the Iraq War: US and Iranian Strategic Competition in Iraq

ian — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The events of the last few days have made it all too clear that the US celebrated the end of the Iraq War without any realism as to the impact of the war and US occupation or the fact that the real result has been to create a new theater of competition between the US and Iran.

Iran and the Gulf Military Balance

ian — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This report has been extensively updated in the wake of the IAEA’s November 8, 2011 report which provides the most detailed indicators that Iran is taking steps toward producing nuclear weapons.

The Outcome of Invasion: US and Iranian Strategic Competition in Iraq

sherry — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq has become a key focus of the strategic competition between the United States and Iran. The history of this competition has been shaped by the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the 1991 Gulf War, and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the 2003 war, both the US and Iran have competed to shape the structure of Post-Saddam Iraq’s politics, governance, economics, and security.

US and Iranian Strategic Competition in the Gulf States and Yemen

sherry — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

The New IAEA Report and Iran’s Evolving Nuclear and Missile Forces

ian — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iran’s potential acquisition of nuclear weapons and the ability to arm its missiles and aircraft with such weapons represents the most serious risk that shapes US, Arab, Israeli and other international perceptions.

Iran's Nuclear Program

sherry — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

On November 8, 2011, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released its latest report on Iran written for the upcoming Board of Governors meeting in late November in Vienna, Austria.

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: The Gulf Military Balance

ian — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

Iran and the Gulf Military Balance

sherry — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: The Proxy Cold War in the Levant, Egypt and Jordan

sherry — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

Iran Delivers a Wake-up Call

sherry — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Last week, the Obama administration revealed that it had caught an Iranian-American used car salesman conspiring to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States and possibly carry out attacks on Saudi and Israeli diplomats in Argentina. At first glance, the plot did not jibe with familiar patterns of Iranian behavior.

Iran’s Accelerating Military Competition with the US and Arab States – Chemical, Biological, and Nuclear Capabilities

ian — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Iran’s foiled assassination plot against Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the US, Adel al-Jubeir, raises questions about Iran’s judgment and which elements within the regime are in control of the country’s decision-making process. If successful, such an act could have lead the country into diplomatic isolation or war.

US Strategic Competition with Iran: The Assassination Plot

ian — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has long been the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move. Iran may now have radically changed the rules if Iran’s senior leadership can be tied to the involvement of members of the Al-Quds Force in a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the US.

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: The Sanctions game: Energy, Arms Control, and Regime Change

sherry — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

US and Iranian Strategic Competition: Competition in Iraq

sherry — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: Competition Involving the EU, EU3, and non-EU European States

sherry — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

Competition in Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Pakistan

ian — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

Middle East Notes and Comment: The Turkey Connection

dholodnik — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Saudi Arabia has a problem. Its decades-long alliances with Iraq and Egypt have been sundered, and its faith in U.S. leadership is at its lowest point in memory. Its regional threats have grown, not only from Iranians directly across the Gulf, but from the actions of Iranian proxies in Lebanon, Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East that endanger Saudi allies.

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition

ian — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

The United States and Iran: Competition involving Turkey and the South Caucasus

sherry — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

Iraq in Transition: Governance, Politics, Economics, and Petroleum

sherry — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The war in Iraq remains a critical aspect of US national security, and involves more vital US strategic interests than the conflict in Afghanistan. Estimates by the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy indicate that the US and global economy will not reduces their strategic dependence on the Gulf petroleum exports through 2035, and Iraq’s future alignments with

Iran’s Accelerating Military Competition with the US and Arab States – Part One

ecurran — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Iran’s Accelerating Military Competition with the US and Arab States – Part One

U.S. And Iranian Strategic Competition

sherry — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Burke Chair has compiled a series of chronological reports with the assistance of Adam Seitz of the Marine Corps University that focus on Iranian perceptions of national security and assess Iran’s intentions concerning competition with the U.S.

Gulf Roundtable: Iran’s Maritime Evolution

dholodnik — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Iran’s nuclear program gets the press, but Iran’s navy is an indispensible part of its regional strategy. A swift, versatile navy gives Iran political and economic leverage in and around the Gulf, and allows it to challenge U.S. presence without necessarily suffering retaliation. Dr. David B.

Gulf Analysis Paper: Iran's Maritime Evolution

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

As Iraq and Afghanistan fade from the headlines, Iran is likely to re-emerge as the preeminent security concern in the Middle East for the United States and its allies. Iran’s intransigence over its nuclear ambitions, its support for Shia opposition forces in the region, and material support for terrorist organizations are challenges that will likely persist for the foreseeable future.

U.S. And Iranian Strategic Competition: Iran's Perceptions of its External Relations

sherry — Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition: Iran’s Perceptions of its Internal Developments

ecurran — Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

With the assistance of Adam Seitz of the Marine Corps University, the Burke Chair has compiled a series of chronological reports that focus on Iranian perceptions of national security and assess Iran’s intentions concerning competition with the US. A link to the reports on Iran’s social and domestic political developments can be found here:

U.S. And Iranian Strategic Competition

sherry — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition

ian — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On Jan. 12, 2011, the Fars News Agency released a report in which the commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, Brigadier General Attaollah Salehi, made revealing statements regarding the role of asymmetric warfare in his country’s military doctrine. General Salehi was extensively quoted, stating that,

The Iranian Navy’s Historic Mediterranean Deployment: Timing Is Everything

mentman — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Iranian Warships in the Med. In an unprecedented maneuver, two ships of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) entered the Mediterranean Sea on February 22, 2011. The Iranian flagship Arvand, a corvette, and its supply ship, Kharg, transited the Suez Canal en route to Syria, ostensibly for a port visit as part of a midshipmen training deployment.

Us Strategic Competition With Iran: Energy, Economics, Sanctions, And The Nuclear Issue

sherry — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

American and Iranian tensions over Iran’s nuclear programs are part of a broad pattern of competition between the two countries. However, Iran’s nuclear program is only one of many interrelated areas in which Washington and Tehran struggle for influence.

U.S. And Iranian Strategic Competition

sherry — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq is a key focus of the strategic competition between the United States and Iran. The history of this competition has been shaped by the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the Gulf War, the Iraq War that began in 2003, and the events that have followed.

A Threat Transformed

jdunton — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

GCC Security, Risk Assessment, and U.S. Extended Deterrence

sherry — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The Burke chair has just published a new report entitled “GCC Security, Risk Assessment, and US Extended Deterrence” which is available on the CSIS web site at http://csis.org/files/publication/110202_GCC_Secur_US_Extended_Deter.pdf.

US, Gulf and Israeli Perspectives of the Threat from Iran

sherry — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iran has emerged as a major national security challenge to the US, its neighbors, and Israel. This is not simply a matter of proliferation. It involves a wide range of potential threats, including asymmetric warfare.

Iran: Public Opinion on Foreign, Nuclear and Domestic Issues

ian — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Key findings from national telephone survey of 702 Iranians between August 30 and Sept 7, 2010 include:

Iran's New Minister of Foreign Affairs

mentman — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The firing of Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran should not be much of a surprise. There were indications of policy differences between the foreign minister and the president.

Clear Gold

jdunton — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The real wild card for political and social unrest in the Middle East over the next 20 years is not war, terrorism, or revolution—it is water. Conventional security threats dominate public debate and government thinking, but water is the true game-changer in Middle Eastern politics.

الذهب الزُلال

mentman — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

لن تنبع القلاقل السياسية والاجتماعية خلال العشرين عاما القادمة في الشرق الأوسط من الحروب، أو الإرهاب، أو الثورات، بل من منبع مفاجئ مستتر- إنه المياه.

Middle East Notes and Comment: Testing Patience

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Domestic politics and challenging allies will soon test the Obama administration's strategy of patience towards Iran. A Republican-led U.S.

U.S. and Iranian Strategic Competition

amausner — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The current strategic landscape in the Gulf is shaped by a competition between Iran, Iraq, the US, and the individual Southern Gulf states for influence in the military, political, and economic realms. Iran is making broad efforts to expand its influence over the entire Gulf, as well as to deter US military action, reduce US influence, and establish itself as the dominant power in the reg

U.S. Policy toward Iran

sherry — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Economic difficulties in Iran have been increasing, partially due to Western sanctions but mostly due to economic mismanagement and corruption by the regime. Iranian policymakers will soon need to rescind and remove subsidies on products as varied as gasoline, bread, sugar, and electricity.

Iran, Iraq, and the Changing Face of Defense Cooperation in the Gulf

amausner — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Southern Gulf states, the region, and the US all face a rapidly changing threat environment in the Gulf, and a sharply rising need for defense cooperation. These needs, and the changes in threat and military balance that shape them, are described in detail in a new analysis developed by the Arleigh A.