Iran's Success at Destabilizing the Region and How to Respond

Description

How can the West effectively combat Iran’s proxy militias, counter its nuclear ambitions, and exploit the regime’s internal vulnerabilities? This Panel will examine the current internal situation in Iran, Iran's regional strategy, Tehran's regional proxies including Hezbollah, and how the west can develop a coherent strategy to contain and roll back Iran.

Hanin Ghaddar is the Friedmann Senior Fellow in the Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics, where she focuses on Shia politics throughout the Levant. The longtime managing editor of Lebanon's NOW news website, Ghaddar shed light on a broad range of cutting-edge issues, from the evolution of Hezbollah inside Lebanon's fractured political system to Iran's growing influence throughout the Middle East. In addition, she has contributed to a number of U.S.-based magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times and Foreign Policy. Prior to joining NOW in 2007, Ghaddar wrote for the Lebanese newspapers As-Safir, An-Nahar, and Al-Hayat, and also worked as a researcher for the United Nations Development Program regional office. A native of Al-Ghazieh, Lebanon, Ghaddar holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and a master's degree in Middle East studies, both from the American University of Beirut.

Saeid Golkar is a UC Foundation associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Concurrently, he is a senior advisor at United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and a senior fellow on Middle East policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Golkar received his Ph.D. in political science from Tehran University in 2008 before moving to the U.S. in 2010. His first book, Captive Society: The Basij Militia and Social Control in Post-revolutionary Iran (Columbia University Press, 2015), was awarded the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Silver Medal Prize. He has also published several peer-reviewed papers in prestigious journals such as Middle East Journal, Armed Forces & Society, Politics, Religion & Ideology, Middle East Policy, Journal of Contemporary Islam, and the Middle East Quarterly.

Alireza Nader is a widely recognized expert on Iran and U.S. policy in the Middle East. As a former senior researcher at the RAND Corporation and a senior fellow at FDD, he authored numerous reports and studies on Iran, the Middle East, and U.S. strategy. Alireza has advised the U.S. government on Iran throughout his career and is regularly asked to share his analysis with senior policy makers. He has testified before the U.S. Congress and is often interviewed by the media. He has lectured at the George Washington University and has conducted research and analytical courses for U.S. Special Forces and Department of Defense analysts. Alireza obtained his B.A. in political science from the University of California at Santa Barbara and his M.A. in international relations from George Washington University.

Jonathan Spyer, a journalist, co-founded the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis, reports for Janes Intelligence Review, writes a column for the Jerusalem Post, and is a contributor to the Wall Street Journal and The Australian. He frequently reports from Syria and Iraq. He has a B.A. from the London School of Economics, an M.A. from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics. He is the author of two books: The Transforming Fire: The Rise of the Israel-Islamist Conflict (2010) and Days of the Fall: A Reporter's Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars (2017).

Presented on May 14, 2024 in Washington, D.C.