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More than 30 years after Iran's revolution, its political, military, and international activities continue to challenge and perplex its neighbors and many Western democracies. RAND research has informed and influenced U.S. policymakers on a range of topics, from engagement and containment and Tehran's ability to exploit pan-Islamic causes to Iran's ongoing development of nuclear capabilities.

Commentary
Iran: Challenges and Successes in COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Iran has faced an uphill battle since the first cases of COVID-19 were found in the country. Despite limited resources, Iran has also had its share of successes and innovations in combating the virus.
Apr 20, 2022
Report
What Drives Iran's Military Interventions?
Iran has risen as one of the most significant regional challenges faced by the United States. A RAND report identifies key signposts of Iranian military interventions that can be used as early warning indicators for U.S. military planners.
Sep 27, 2021

Explore Iran

Commentary
Iran's Efforts to Create Instability Abroad Have Led to Protests at Home
Iran has spent billions of dollars in its quest to be a regional leader, but its main achievement has been to spark instability across a wide swath of the Middle East. Ordinary Iranians are struggling and protesters are urging a retreat from costly foreign fights and more aid at home.
Jan 12, 2018
Commentary
Why the Iranian Uprising Won't Die
The Iran uprising of 2017 is the biggest challenge Iran's theocracy has ever faced. And now, Iranians are no longer contained by the wall of fear created by the Islamic Republic.
Jan 8, 2018
Commentary
Where Is Assad Getting His Fighters from?
The Assad regime's defense against insurgents in Syria's ongoing civil war is being provided by forces imported from Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Lebanon and Iraq. Most of these fighters are being trained and equipped by Iran. Could this network of foreign fighters help Iran establish a greater presence beyond the Middle East?
Jan 4, 2018
Journal Article
The Implications of Iran's Expanding Shi'a Foreign Fighter Network
Well-trained and resourced, Iranian-directed Shi'a foreign fighters pose a significant potential threat to U.S. interests. The more robust this network grows, the more opportunities it will have to expand abroad.
Dec 7, 2017
Multimedia
Recommendations for a Future National Defense Strategy
Drawing from his expertise and war-game experience, David Ochmanek provides recommendations to inform a future national defense strategy. He explains that while U.S. forces are currently misaligned with challenges from the country's greatest adversaries, including China and Russia, gaps can be overcome with investments in existing technology to protect our forward bases; reach into contested areas; and identify, track, and engage enemy forces.
Nov 30, 2017
Testimony
Recommendations for a Future National Defense Strategy
War games and analysis suggest that U.S. forces could lose the next war they are called upon to fight. The nation must invest in new field systems and military capabilities to create a robust defensive posture vis-à-vis China, Russia, and other adversaries.
Nov 30, 2017
Commentary
Saudi Arabia and Iran May Be Headed Toward War
America should encourage Tehran and Riyadh to settle their differences, not facilitate aggressive Saudi action. Otherwise, the region will be plunged into an even bigger crisis—without an end in sight.
Nov 13, 2017
Commentary
Saudi Shakeup Gives the U.S. an Opening with Iran
If Saudi Arabia forces a showdown with Iran, the U.S. will find itself in the middle of it. Washington and Tehran need to come to an understanding so as not to further inflame the region. Demonizing Iran for all the ills of the Middle East is counterproductive and will lead to further escalation.
Nov 13, 2017
Commentary
Killing Iran's Economy Won't Help the U.S.
Iran's economy is likely to be damaged by any new U.S. sanctions, with foreign investment having already slowed in response to President Trump's rhetoric. The biggest losers will not be the Iranian regime but the Iranian people, whose striving the U.S. has long hoped would bring about a less antagonistic Iran.
Oct 31, 2017
Multimedia
Analyzing New U.S. Iran Policy
In this Call with the Experts, RAND Middle East experts Dalia Dassa Kaye and Alireza Nader discuss the future of the Iran nuclear deal and reactions to new sanctions on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran.
Oct 26, 2017
Commentary
Why the Iran Nuclear Deal Benefits the U.S.
The Iran deal has stretched the time needed to produce a nuclear weapon from three to at least 12 months and has established the strongest inspections system ever negotiated. Walking away from the agreement now will only isolate the U.S. and provide Iran an easy excuse to join North Korea on the road toward nuclear weapons.
Oct 23, 2017
Commentary
A Glass Half Empty? Taking Stock of Hezbollah's Losses in Syria
Hezbollah has gained valuable combat experience in Syria, but the cost of that experience may not outweigh the losses in troops, the damage to its image and the need to cede some of its autonomy to Iran and the Assad regime. The longer the war drags on, the more apparent these losses will become.
Oct 17, 2017
Commentary
Punting on the Iran Nuclear Deal
President Trump has signaled that he is likely to decline to certify that Iran is adhering to its nuclear deal commitments. The alternatives to the agreement are clear: Iran will develop nuclear weapons, the U.S. will go to war to prevent this, or both.
Oct 16, 2017
Commentary
Decertifying the Iran Nuclear Deal Would Not Increase U.S. Leverage
The Iran nuclear agreement is not perfect, but it is working. Iran is no longer on the brink of being able to produce a nuclear weapon as it was two years ago. The suggestion that decertifying would increase U.S. leverage to renegotiate and strengthen the agreement is unrealistic.
Oct 5, 2017
Commentary
How to Keep Iran from Becoming the Next North Korea
The United States brokered an agreement to constrain North Korea's nuclear program 25 years ago, but hard-liners abandoned it with vague intentions of coercing the North into something better. They never did, and now a runaway North Korean program poses real danger. This offers a powerful reason to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.
Aug 22, 2017
Commentary
Islamic State 2.0
Many of Iraq's Sunnis are frustrated with the slow pace of reconstruction and a Baghdad government they consider too friendly to Iran. The U.S. needs to shift from supporting military operations in cities such as Mosul to helping the Iraqi government better address political grievances. Failure risks sowing the seeds of ISIS's resurgence.
Aug 10, 2017
Commentary
State Competition, Not Sectarianism, Key Driver of Middle East Politics
Sectarianism is real and dangerous in the Middle East, but the region is more complicated. The next leaders in Iran and Saudi Arabia, under pressure from youthful populations and worsening economic challenges, may no longer see value in a costly sectarian agenda.
Aug 3, 2017
Commentary
Time for Quiet Diplomacy, Not Taking Sides
Disputes within the Gulf Cooperation Council are inevitable given differing threat perceptions and political interests, but there is no reason for the U.S. to pursue policies that aggravate the differences and risk fueling greater instability. Instead, Washington could assure both sides that it will support any agreement they reach.
Jun 7, 2017
Commentary
Why Trump's Pressures on Iran Won't Benefit America
The Trump administration has demonstrated a renewed policy of pressure against Iran. In doing so, it risks losing the ability to leverage the greatest potential source of change in Iran: millions of Iranians who want a better country at peace with the world.
May 25, 2017
Report
The Future of Sectarian Relations in the Middle East
Sectarianism is shaping developments across the Middle East. But sectarianism is only one lens for understanding the region's conflicts, and some of its drivers are amenable to policy interventions.
May 22, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Iran

Topic Synonyms:
Islamic Republic of Iran

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Dalia Dassa Kaye

Adjunct Political Scientist

Dalia Dassa Kaye is an adjunct political scientist at the RAND Corporation. She is also a senior fellow at UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations. In 2020–2021 she was a visiting scholar at the Wilson Center. She served as the director of RAND’s Center for Middle East Public Policy…
Heather J. Williams

Associate Director, International Security and Defense Policy Program

Heather Williams is associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Program, part of the RAND National Security Research Division. She is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, and a professor at Pardee RAND Graduate School. Williams previously served as…

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