Q&A
Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour
{
"authors": [
"Karim Sadjadpour"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [
"Iranian Proliferation"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"United States",
"Middle East",
"Iran"
],
"topics": [
"Security",
"Foreign Policy",
"Nuclear Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Navigating Through Iran’s Charm Offensive
Though the diplomatic thaw between Iran and the West is a significant step forward, it remains to be seen whether Iran wants a rapprochement with the United States and will fundamentally change its foreign and domestic policy.
Published on Nov 4, 2013
Source: Agenda with Steve Paikin
The diplomatic thaw between Iran and the West is a significant step forward after years of tensions. As Carnegie’s Karim Sadjadpour explains, the question, however, is whether Iran wants a rapprochement with the United States and if Tehran will fundamentally change its foreign and domestic policy. Speaking to the Agenda with Steve Paikin, Sadjadpour argued that Iranian president Hassan Rouhani is a pragmatic politician and the team around him has a much more sophisticated world view than Ahmadinejad’s. They recognize that in order for Iran to fulfill its true potential and improve the state of the domestic economy, it can’t have an adversarial policy towards the outside world.
Sadjadpour explained that one of the fundamental challenges facing the Iranian regime is reconciling their state ideology, which has been based on resistance against America and a rejection of Israel’s existence. He contended that it will be very difficult for the regime to dilute those pillars which have been fundamental sources of identity for the system. Sadjadpour described the likelihood of Iran entirely giving up its nuclear program as slim to none and underlined that the big question is whether there is a middle ground between the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Leader, where Iran would make significant nuclear compromises in exchange for sanctions relief.
About the Author
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.
- Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for NowQ&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
Recent Work
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.
More Work from Carnegie India
- Managing Divergence: India’s BRICS Presidency in 2026Article
This piece argues that India’s central challenge is not managing a single flashpoint but resolving the underlying tension between expansion and institutional coherency of the BRICS grouping.
Vrinda Sahai
- India–Africa Strategic Partnership: Challenges, Potential, and Possible PathwaysArticle
A partnership between India, a country of subcontinental size, and Africa, a continent of fifty-four countries, may seem asymmetric until one notes that both are home to nearly the same number of people—1.4 billion. This essay spells out the existing challenges to the partnership, its optimal potential, and the possible pathways to realize it over the next quarter-century.
Rajiv Bhatia
- The Unresolved Challenges in U.S.–India Semiconductor CooperationCommentary
The U.S.–India semiconductor cooperation story is well-stocked with top-level strategic intent. What remains unresolved, however, are some underlying challenges that will determine whether the cooperation actually functions. Three such friction points stand out.
Shruti Mittal
- Emerging From the “Zombie State” of Trade Agreements: The India-EU FTACommentary
The India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is shaping up to be one of the most consequential trade negotiations, both economically and strategically. But, what’s in the agreement, what’s missing, and what will determine its success in the years ahead
Vrinda Sahai, Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki
- India’s Oil Security Strategy: Structural Vulnerabilities and Strategic ChoicesArticle
This piece argues that the present Indian strategy, based on opportunistic diversification and utilization of limited strategic reserves, remains inadequate when confronting supply disruptions. It evaluates India’s options in the short, medium, and long terms.
Vrinda Sahai
