All Policy Analysis by Patrick Clawson

President Trump has long signaled his distaste for the JCPOA. He warned in January that absent improvements to the Iran nuclear agreement, he might decide by the May 12 deadline not to extend the sanctions waivers, effectively withdrawing the United States from the deal. In reality, however, reimposing sanctions is

The Supreme Leader's latest Nowruz speech signaled concern about the regime's political legitimacy while remaining notably silent on the nuclear deal.

Findings from a new IMF report imply that greater U.S. pressure would have considerable impact on the country's shock-prone economy.

The regime and its allies will probably try to peel away U.S. partners or take military action in vulnerable areas, so Washington should prepare to counter such efforts.

Institute experts Patrick Clawson, Hanin Ghaddar, and Nader Uskowi discuss Iran's growing influence from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean and beyond.

Washington Institute experts discuss the economic, social, diplomatic, and military implications of the anti-regime demonstrations sweeping Iran. Read a summary or watch video of the full event.

As more congressional deadlines and international meetings pass with no robust efforts to address the JCPOA's flaws, the chances of the Trump administration terminating the deal grow.

The threat of decertifying the nuclear deal gives the administration an opening with those who wish to preserve it, so the president should use this leverage wisely rather than taking an all-or-nothing approach.

The outcome is unlikely to bring much change to Tehran's foreign and security policy, but it will reveal how stable the Iranian system is when the powerful hardliners are decisively rejected by voters.

As Iranians prepare to go to the polls, three experts discuss how the current campaign compares to past ones and what the outcome might mean for U.S. interests.

Despite some positive growth indicators, Rouhani faces an uphill struggle to convince voters that his economic plan is truly best for them.

In this short video, Institute scholars explain the economic, security, and political dynamics shaping Iran's 2017 presidential election and the future of Iranian policy.

Iran's budget and banking system are being held hostage by unaccountable revolutionary institutions like the IRGC, but for some reason the IMF is not calling Tehran out on the glaring lack of transparency.

Despite the prime minister's distaste for the deal, he will likely ask Washington to enforce it to the hilt instead of shredding it -- something the Trump White House seems ready to do given its actions toward Iran thus far.

Even while the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is in place, the Trump administration could bring significant pressure to bear on Iran. In this Policy Note, Institute fellows Katherine Bauer, Patrick Clawson, and Matthew Levitt look at the role of sanctions in restraining Iran's regional aggression and disrupting its global-terrorism

Experts need sufficient information to make informed judgments about whether the deal's terms are being implemented in full, and it is unclear whether any mechanism exists to detect procurement violations.

This collection of essays by Washington Institute experts explores how the United States can work with--or, in some cases, around--the various actors in heavily Kurdish-populated northern Syria to advance the fight against the Islamic State and create long-term stability. Successive pieces look at the Kurds themselves, Turkey, Arabs in the

If administration officials would simply explain their Iran decisions from the start rather than waiting for inevitable media leaks, they could ensure that any new revelations are small news items, not the subject of page one stories or congressional inquiries.