Iran’s relations with al-Qaeda is under the spotlight following the CIA’s release of nearly half a million documents obtained during a 2011 raid that killed the extremist group’s leader Osama Bin Laden. How Iran at least facilitated the efforts leading to the 9/11 attacks has been discussed … [Read more...] about ANALYSIS: How Iran fueled and used al-Qaeda
Great Satan
What Is Iran’s Policy-Making Mechanism?
By Heshmat Alavi As we close in to the Iran presidential election -- read "selection" -- a more precise look at the policymaking mechanisms at work in this very peculiar theocratic system is necessary. The regime in Iran, with Hassan Rouhani as its president, has been eager to portray an image of … [Read more...] about What Is Iran’s Policy-Making Mechanism?
What to learn from Iran’s unconventional naval tactics
Tehran took advantage of Obama’s appeasement to increase its Middle East influence. An alternative is available, and it’s not war. Once again Iran resorted to its desperate and unprofessional tactic of dispatching fast-attack boats in the Persian Gulf to harass U.S. Navy ships, this time leading … [Read more...] about What to learn from Iran’s unconventional naval tactics
The Future Of Iran Following Rafsanjani’s Death
Originally published in Forbes By Heshmat Alavi The regime in Iran suffered a major setback after former president and figurehead Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died of a heart attack on Sunday. He was 82. Following the 1979 revolution, Rafsanjani played an influential role in structuring the … [Read more...] about The Future Of Iran Following Rafsanjani’s Death