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After Khamenei: Iran’s Political Culture and the Struggle for Its Future
Tue, November 4th, 2025
Washington, D.C. and Live Online
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As Iran approaches the twilight of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule, the Islamic Republic faces a moment of profound uncertainty. The regime’s ideology has hardened even as society has outgrown it, and the question of what—or who—comes next will shape not only the lives of Iran’s 92 million citizens but also the balance of power across the Middle East.
What kind of political order might follow Khamenei’s rule? How will Iran’s political culture influence its next chapter? And what are the implications for the United States and the wider region as the Islamic Republic enters its autumn?
Join Nazee Moinian, associate fellow at the Middle East Institute, as she moderates a panel discussion to explore these issues with Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow in Carnegie's Middle East Program; Ali Ansari, professor of Iranian history at the University of St Andrews and founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies; and Robin Wright, contributing writer and columnist for The New Yorker.
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Event Speakers
Ali Ansari
Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director, Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews
Ali Ansari is a professor of Iranian history and founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. He is also a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
Robin Wright
Contributing Writer and Columnist, The New Yorker
Robin Wright, a contributing writer and columnist, has written for The New Yorker since 1988. Her first piece on Iran won the National Magazine Award for best reporting. A former correspondent for The Washington Post, CBS News, The Los Angeles Times, and The Sunday Times of London, she has reported from more than a hundred and fifty countries and all seven continents. She has also been a senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Brookings Institution and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as well as at Yale, Duke, Dartmouth, and the University of California.
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
Nazee Moinian
Associate Fellow, Middle East Institute
Nazee Moinian holds a PhD in Iran Studies from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is an associate fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.