Iran Initiative

Over the last decade, the Islamic Republic of Iran has emerged as a key player in the most consequential political and strategic dramas unfolding across the Middle East. These include the potential spread of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, post-conflict stabilization in Afghanistan and Iran, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the fight against Islamist extremism, and assuring the adequacy of oil and gas supplies from the Persian Gulf for international energy markets. In the process, the Islamic Republic has consolidated a role as de facto leader of resistance to America’s hegemonic posture and aspirations across the broader Middle East.

The New America Foundation’s Iran Initiative focuses on the critical issues that define America’s relationship with the Islamic Republic, as well as Iran’s broader significance for the emerging constellation of 21st–century “great powers.” The Initiative is directed by New America Foundation senior research fellow Flynt Leverett.