While the Iranian government—an increasingly militarized theocracy—is unique, George Kennan’s 1947 essay, “The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” reveals instructive behavioral parallels between the Iranian and Soviet regimes.
As the P5+1 conduct their first meetings in a year with Iran on its nuclear program, their objective is to begin a process that will lead Tehran to agree to meaningful and binding nuclear compromises and greater transparency.
The confidential documents released by WikiLeaks reveal that Arab officials distrust the government in Tehran, which effectively uses soft power and political influence to maintain a significant role on the regional and global stage.
Even as the West struggles to understand the Islamic Republic and determine the best way to deal with Tehran, Iran remains central to many of the chief foreign policy challenges facing the United States.
Although the Iranian president has claimed that leaked diplomatic messages detailing Arab calls for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities are Western propaganda, the Gulf states have always been apprehensive of Tehran’s nuclear aspirations.
While no historical analogy is perfect, analysts looking to understand Iran’s character and predict its future trajectory can benefit from comparing the Islamic Republic to the Soviet Union.
In the aftermath of Iran’s 2009 contested presidential elections, the economy is under serious strain and there are rumors of tensions between President Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei.
During Iranian President Ahmadinejad’s visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, journalists will have the opportunity to confront him on human rights issues in Iran, the country’s internal politics, and the recent defections of Iranian senior diplomats.
Iran increasingly dominates international newspaper headlines and foreign policy agendas, but its people and regime remain poorly understood in the West.
The decision to release one of the three detained U.S. hikers demonstrates the tension between the Iranian judiciary, President Ahmadinejad, and other members of the regime.