Foreign Policy Blogs

A Candid Discussion on Iran’s Presidential Elections

A Candid Discussion with Jamshid Barzegar

A Candid Discussion with Jamshid Barzegar

Jamshid Barzegar on the Authenticity of Iranian Elections Jamshid Barzegar is a Senior Iran Analyst and Editor at the BBC Persian Service. He was previously head of BBC Persian Radio and Online Service as well as Editor-in-Chief of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Persian service known as Radio Farda. Mr. Barzegar is currently pursuing a PhD degree at […]

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A Candid Discussion with Reza Taghizadeh

A Candid Discussion with Reza Taghizadeh

Reza Taghizadeh on Iran’s Energy Policy in Disarray  Reza Taghizadeh is a senior Iran analyst at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, covering Iranian geopolitical affairs and energy policy. Dr. Taghizadeh’s expertise is sought by major news organizations and foreign governments on Iran’s foreign and energy policies. He sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of Foreign Policy Association to […]

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A Candid Discussion with Mehrzad Boroujerdi

A Candid Discussion with Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Mehrzad Boroujerdi on Iran’s Fractured Politics  Mehrzad Boroujerdi is the President of the International Society for Iranian Studies and Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Program at Syracuse University. A political scientist by training, Dr. Boroujerdi is the author of Iranian Intellectuals and the West: The Tormented Triumph of Nativism.  He is also editor, most recently, […]

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A Candid Discussion with Eric Trager

A Candid Discussion with Eric Trager

Eric Trager on the Muslim Brotherhood’s view  of Iran and Iran’s foreign policy Eric Trager is the Next Generation Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He is an expert on Egyptian politics and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Dr. Trager was in Egypt during the 2011 anti-Mubarak revolts. He visits the country on a […]

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A Candid Discussion with Meir Javedanfar

A Candid Discussion with Meir Javedanfar

Meir Javedanfar on Israel’s View on Iran’s Elections Meir Javedanfar is an Iranian-born Israeli Middle East expert. He lived in Iran until eight years after the revolution. He was educated in British universities and now lives in Israel. Asia Times called him “one of the best informed observers” of the Middle East. Mr. Javedanfar is the publisher and editor of the website Iran–Israel Observer. Previously, he […]

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A Candid Discussion with Cliff Kupchan

A Candid Discussion with Cliff Kupchan

Cliff Kupchan on Russia’s Strategic Interests in Iran Cliff Kupchan is the Director for the Middle East at Eurasia Group, a leading geopolitical risk consulting firm, where his work focuses on Iran, Russia, and U.S. foreign policy. Mr. Kupchan works closely on Iranian nuclear, foreign, and domestic policies, as well as on developments in the broader Middle […]

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A Candid Discussion with Karim Sadjadpour

A Candid Discussion with Karim Sadjadpour

Karim Sadjadpour on Iran’s Conflicting National and Ideological Interests Karim Sadjadpour is a leading policy analyst and researcher on Iran at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Previously, he was chief Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group. Mr. Sadjadpour’s views on Iran and the Middle East are Frequently sought by U.S., EU and Asian officials. He has testified […]

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A Candid Discussion with Frederic Hof

A Candid Discussion with Frederic Hof

Frederic Hof on Syria’s Weight on Iran’s Security Interests Ambassador Frederic C. Hof is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. In 2012 Ambassador Hof was tasked by President Obama to head the Syria policy at the State Department. Ambassador Hof was previously the special coordinator for regional […]

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A Candid Discussion with Trita Parsi

A Candid Discussion with Trita Parsi

Trita Parsi on Sanctions and Iran’s Strategic Imperatives  Trita Parsi is is the founder and president of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), a non-partisan, non-profit organization through which Iranian-Americans could participate in American civic life. Dr. Parsi is considered a leading analyst and observer of US-Iranian relations, Iranian foreign politics, and the geopolitics of the Middle East. He is […]

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A Candid Discussion with Ramin Jahanbegloo

A Candid Discussion with Ramin Jahanbegloo

Ramin Jahanbegloo on Iran’s Crises of Ethics and Institutionalized Violence Ramin Jahanbegloo is an internationally known Iranian-Canadian philosopher known for his intellectual work and efforts on fostering constructive dialogue among divergent cultures and for his advocacy to bring about social and political change based on principles of non-violence. He has written numerous books and articles in […]

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A Candid Discussion with Farideh Farhi

A Candid Discussion with Farideh Farhi

Farideh Farhi on Iran’s Power Dynamics  Farideh Farhi is an Independent Scholar and Affiliate Graduate Faculty at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Dr. Farhi is a regular contributor to Lobe Log Foreign Policy, the U.S. foreign policy blog of the Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS News), writing on U.S. and Iranian foreign policies and Iran’s internal […]

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A Candid Discussion with Mehdi Khalaji

A Candid Discussion with Mehdi Khalaji

  Mehdi Khalaji on Iran’s Crisis of State Ideology Mehdi Khalaji is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, focusing on the politics of Iran and the Middle East. Mr. Khalaji is considered one of the leading scholars on Islamic thought and Shiite Islam. He is also one of the pioneers […]

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A Candid Discussion with Haleh Esfandiari

A Candid Discussion with Haleh Esfandiari

Haleh Esfandiari on Iran’s Election Dyamics Haleh Esfandiari is the Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. Dr. Esfandiari taught Persian language at Oxford University and, prior to coming to the Wilson Center, she taught Persian language, contemporary Persian literature, and courses on the women’s movement in Iran […]

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A Candid Discussion with Abbas Milani

A Candid Discussion with Abbas Milani

Abbas Milani on the Islamic Republic’s Declining Fortunes Dr. Abbas Milani, is the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University and a Professor in Division of International, Comparative, and Area Studies. He is considered one of the leading experts on Iranian contemporary history and politics. Dr. Milani is also one of the […]

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A Candid Discussion with Hooman Majd

A Candid Discussion with Hooman Majd

Hooman Majd on Iran’s Potential for Change    Hooman Majd is one of the leading observers of Iranian politics known for his on-the-ground view of events taking place in Iran’s complex political system. The grandson of a prominent ayatollah and the son of an Iranian diplomat, Mr. Majd’s writings have challenged Western stereotypes around socio-political […]

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