• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Renad Mansour"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
    "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center",
  "programAffiliation": "MEP",
  "programs": [
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "Iran",
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Economy",
    "Security",
    "Foreign Policy"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media
Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center

Iran’s Rising Influence

Iran appears to be increasing its military presence in the Middle East, raising a lot of questions about just what its ambitions are.

Link Copied
By Renad Mansour
Published on Mar 28, 2015

Source: Al Jazeera Counting the Cost

Kamahl Santamaria: We’re looking at Iran this week, but nothing to do with its nuclear program or the ongoing nuclear talks in Switzerland. Instead, our buzzword is “influence.” Because it would appear Iran is increasing its military presence in the Middle East, raising a lot of questions about just what its ambitions are. So we thought we’d have a look at what Iran is actually capable of deploying, even as it deals with economic sanctions.

Renad Mansour joins us via Skype from Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He’s a scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center and joins to talk about what Iran is up to.

This interview was originally broadcast by Al Jazeera Counting the Cost.

About the Author

Renad Mansour

Former El-Erian Fellow, Middle East Center

Mansour was an El-Erian fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, where his research focuses on Iraq, Iran, and Kurdish affairs.

    Recent Work

  • Paper
    The Popular Mobilization Forces and Iraq’s Future

      Renad Mansour, Faleh A. Jabar

  • Commentary
    Game of Thrones in Baghdad

      Renad Mansour

Renad Mansour
Former El-Erian Fellow, Middle East Center
Renad Mansour
Political ReformEconomySecurityForeign PolicyIranMiddle East

Carnegie 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 Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Why Has Tokyo’s Response to Kremlin Challenges Been So Muted?

    Japan’s long-term security policy is driven by concerns about China, and there is little appetite for (or interest in) pursuing a confrontation with Moscow.  

      James D.J. Brown

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    The Future of Russian-European Relations Is Bleak

    The truth of the strategic situation is that Europe and Russia are extremely unlikely to be able to “turn the page” on their confrontation within the next two decades.

      Arkady Moshes

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    How the Latest Election Changed the Role of Russia’s Parliament

    Putin’s conservative staffing policies and search for ever greater control have cemented parliament’s transformation into a bureaucratic appendage of the executive branch.

      Andrey Pertsev

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    In the Kremlin’s AI Propaganda Blitz, the Noise Is the Signal

    Russia’s AI-driven propaganda campaigns operate in a fragmented, chaotic, and often illogical manner. That’s not necessarily a problem for the Kremlin, though: It’s much easier to mimic genuine public debate that way.

      Ilya Klishin

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    How Will Trump and Putin’s Diesel Deal Impact Russia and Global Markets?

    Without a ceasefire with Ukraine on attacking each other’s energy infrastructure—to which the Kremlin is unlikely to agree—the diesel agreement between Putin and Trump is largely for show, rather than representing a genuine increase in the volumes of Russian diesel on the global market.

      • Sergey Vakulenko

      Sergey Vakulenko

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.