Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Whereas the Bush administration united Iran's disparate political factions against a commmon threat, Obama's overtures have accentuated deep internal rifts amongst Iranian political elites.
Though the White House released a written statement Saturday in which President Obama used his strongest language to date to condemn what he called a "violent and unjust" government crackdown on protesters, critics say he needs to show more leadership on the issue.
As protests of unprecedented scale continue across Iran and the sense of outrage mounts, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's authority is being questioned for the first time. Something truly historic is afoot in Iran.
Iran's disputed presidential elections have revealed and accentuated rifts among the clerical leadership.
Violence in the aftermath of Iran’s election has raised questions about the future of the regime, and about the way the Obama administration should respond to this controversial situation.
Continuing unrest following allegations of fraud in Iran's presidential election has created a leadership crisis for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
The continued unrest in Iran has called into question how different Mousavi's policies would be compared to Ahmadinejad.
The political turmoil in Iran is not good news for the president but, rather, an unwelcome complication in his strategy of engaging and seeking rapprochement with the Iranian government on nuclear issues.
The Gulf needs a regional security organization that includes Iran and the six GCC members to address two key issues: how an anticipated U.S.–Iran thaw will affect the Gulf’s relations with Iran, and what Gulf countries can do to contribute to a stable, strong Iraqi state.
Syria is the common denominator linking the toughest challenges for the United States: reining in Iran’s nuclear ambitions and solving the Arab–Israeli conflict. Syria’s support for Hizbollah and Hamas and its ties to Tehran give Damascus significant regional influence—and the only thing that would moderate Syrian positions is a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.