Evaluating Any U.S.-Iran Deal Against President Trump’s 2018 Criteria CIE+ members only
The success or failure of 2026 U.S.-Iran negotiations may be judged by the elements President Trump listed in 2018.
Strait of Hormuz: A Struggle to Determine Iran’s Strength Tomorrow CIE+ members only
Iran’s move to assert sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz has short- and long-term implications for the Islamic regime and the world economy.
Michael Eisenstadt: Hamas-Israel War With Comments on U.S.-Israel-Iran War CIE+ members only
Washington Institute Senior Fellow Michael Eisenstadt speaks about the regional effects of the 2023-2025 Hamas-Israel war and the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war in March 2026.
Objectives and Conclusions: U.S.-Israel-Iran War CIE+ members only
While too much is unknown after a week of fighting to make definitive statements about the war, certain possible outcomes can be explored.
Stein: The Causes and Consequences of the 2023-2026 Hamas-Israel War (transcript) CIE+ members only
CIE President Ken Stein addresses what is and what is not known about why Hamas attacked October 7, 2023, why Israel was caught off guard, and what happens after the war across the region.
New Year’s 2026 Unrest in Iran and Its Context for Israel and the Middle East CIE+ members only
January 2, 2026 A week of unrest in Iran does not guarantee a revolution even if 85-plus million Iranians are angry at the country’s autocratic, theological rulers. Iran is a security-clerical oligarchy where kleptocracy, cronyism…
Timeline: Hamas-Israel Relations With Events, Statements and Clashes, 1988-Present
Hamas’ genocide against Israelis unleashed the long-blistering hatred that Hamas possesses for Israel and Jews. Entries include severe Arab criticism of Hamas, its detriment to Palestinian nationalism, statements by its leaders, and the war’s unfolding.
Iran, the Jewish People and Israel CIE+ members only
May 18, 2025 Contradiction has been a theme in Iran’s relationship with the Jewish people, for nowhere else in the Muslim world have Jews both suffered so grievously and flourished so thoroughly. Nor is the…
Jimmy Carter — An Obituary: The Audacious Camp David Mediator and His Naive Approach to Israel, Iran, the Palestinians and the Whole Middle East CIE+ members only
January 9, 2025 By Dr. Kenneth Stein, Emeritus Professor, Emory University As the 39th president of the United States, James Earl Carter held office from 1977 to 1981. Carter was the longest-surviving former United States president…
Meir Litvak: Iranian Regime’s Embedded Hatred of Jews and Israel CIE+ members only
December 11, 2024 Professor Meir Litvak, Tel Aviv University, for the Center for Israel Education In this extraordinary review, Professor Meir Litvak unfolds the ideological origins and development of the Iranian regime’s stark hatred of…
“Jimmy Carter’s Middle East Legacies,” Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, September 2024 CIE+ members only
September 2024 By Kenneth Stein Kenneth Stein is Emeritus Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science and Israel Studies at Emory University and President of the Atlanta-based Center for Israel Education. He is the author…
Patrick Clawson: “Khamenei’s Presidential Choice: Weak Reformer or Strong Hardliner” CIE+ members only
Iranian presidential elections often produce surprising results, so a victory by Massoud Pezeshkian, the one reformist candidate, could not be ruled out. Three of Iran’s last four presidents were not expected to be elected when…
The American Intelligence Threat Assessment on Iran’s Nuclear Program CIE+ members only
On Jan. 29, 2019, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: “We do not believe Iran is currently undertaking the key activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device.” However, experience helps us realize that the American intelligence community has a very problematic track record in revealing, on time, nuclear weaponization efforts of many countries (e.g., North Korea, India, Pakistan, Syria, and Iraq) including Iran itself, so one has to be very humble about this kind of assessment.
Great Powers, the Middle East and the Cold Wars CIE+ members only
The clash of great powers to control the Middle East, particularly between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., neither began after World War II nor ended with the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991. Today, China, the U.S., Russia and Middle Eastern regional powers vie to influence everyday politics and resources.
The Day After an Iranian Nuclear Strike CIE+ members only
There is much discussion around the world about how to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. But few, if any, international bodies deal with the question of how to prepare for the day Iran achieves such capabilities, if that day has not already arrived.
The Greatest Necessity: National Cohesion CIE+ members only
Israel’s government must nurture a spirit of unity and national purpose by building a policy consensus as broad as possible. This is necessary both in preparation for likely combat operations against Iran and its proxies, and in order to respond wisely to the American peace plan and to intelligently manage conflict with the Palestinians.
The Rising Crisis Between the United States and Iran CIE+ members only
After a year in which Iran opted for “strategic patience,” in the hope that European nations would compensate for the United States sanctions, it now seeks to present a price tag for the US measures against it, and has thus embarked on a response comprising action in three realms: nuclear, military, and oil exports from the Gulf. In the current circumstances, Iran and the United States are demanding conditions that would make a resumption of negotiations difficult, although both sides apparently understand that dialogue may ultimately be the less dangerous option for them.
Will Iran Retaliate against the US for Designating the IRGC as a Terrorist Organization? CIE+ members only
In a bold move, the Trump administration has designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). This is historical justice, since the IRGC has sponsored various terrorist militias and organizations, Shiite and Sunni alike, which have committed many attacks against Western, Israeli and Sunni targets.
Israel’s Dilemma Over Syrian Reconstruction CIE+ members only
In the coming years, Syria will focus on tending to its war wounds while continuing to serve as a springboard for strategic threats posed by Iran and its proxies against Israel. It is in Israel’s interest that Syria rebuild its infrastructure, experience economic recovery, and benefit from a stable central government. However, there is inherent tension in Israel’s position.
On Developing a Coherent US Regional Strategy Towards Iran, and Iran’s Likely Response CIE+ members only
The US can and should develop a coherent region-wide strategy, involving US allies including Israel, to impede Iran’s ability to continue developing in ways detrimental to the region’s security. However, Iran is proficient in the practice of using proxies and paramilitary methods, as well as in the combination of paramilitary and political struggle. Its response to a US-led strategy to contain and roll back their influence is likely to focus on these areas.
The Logic of Israel’s Actions to Contain Iran in Syria and Lebanon CIE+ members only
Israel’s opposition to Iranian entrenchment in Syria and Lebanon is twofold: To prevent Iran from building a beachhead against Israel through its proxies on Israel’s borders, and to impede development of Iran’s nuclear and long-range missile capabilities. Israel is absolutely determined and prepared to act forcefully against Iran, which could lead to a full-scale war. Israel must win this struggle against Iran, one way or another.
Turkey-Iran Rivalry: The Middle East’s Great New Game CIE+ members only
The aftermath of the “Arab Spring” and waning of great power influence has seen Turkey and Iran, both with imperials pasts to assert themselves regionally. Another Shia-Sunni rivalry unfolds. Look for local proxies to join sides.
Ken Stein: Stopping an Ominous Iran CIE+ members only
In the interest of securing any deal rather than the right deal – politics over principle – the president and the diplomats he sent to negotiate seem to have forgotten or perhaps never learned why Iran must not get a nuclear weapon.
Michael Singh: Implications of the JCPOA for U.S. Policy in the Middle East CIE+ members only
“When we analyze foreign policy, the first question should be what interest or objective is served by a particular policy. A good policy should clearly advance U.S. interests and should complement rather than clash with our larger strategy, unless the policy in question heralds an entirely new strategy that can be clearly articulated and implemented.”
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