Iran

BETWEEN TURKEY, RUSSIA, AND PERSIA: PERCEPTIONS OF NATIONAL IDENTITY IN AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA AT THE TURN OF THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES

By Emil Souleimanov April 27, 2012

886px-1855_Colton_Map_of_Turkey,_Iraq,_and_Syria_-_Geographicus_-_TurkeyIraq-colton-1855

This article traces the emergence of the modern national identities of Azerbaijanis and Armenians back to the last quarter of the nineteenth century. In doing so, it emphasizes the ways national identities were shaped by Azerbaijani and Armenian intellectual elites, reflecting their historical heritage of being parts of Turkish, Persian, and Russian empires. Accordingly, the evolution of mutual perceptions of Azerbaijanis and Armenians vis-à-vis their imperial neighbors--and vice versa--is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Azerbaijan, Caucasus, Central Asia, Iran, MERIA Journal Volume 16, Number 01 (March 2012), Regional , Russia/USSR, Turkey

Sunni Versus Shia: The Middle East’s New Strategic Conflict

By Barry Rubin January 5, 2012

Of course, conflicts between Sunni and Shia Muslims are not at all new, but it is indeed new as a feature on the regional level in modern times. After all, as long as there were secular-style regimes preaching an all-inclusive Arab nationalist identity, differences between religious communities are subordinated. Once there are Islamist regimes, theology becomes central again, as it was centuries ago. However, no one should misunderstand the situation. This is fundamentally a struggle for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Iran, Iraq, Middle East Politics

THE POLITICS OF PRIVATIZATION IN IRAN

By Shirzad Azad December 5, 2010

Aside from the controversial presidential election in June 2010 and the ensuing political turmoil, privatization has been one of the most debated topics about Iran in both domestic and foreign circles. The Islamic Republic has embarked on a large-scale privatization effort and now competes not only with Middle Eastern countries but also with Western European nations in terms of selling off state assets. Despite the shift toward economic liberalization, privatization in Iran is not new; … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economics, Iran, MERIA Journal Volume 14, Number 04 (Dec 2010)

THE ARAB GULF STATES AND THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR CHALLENGE: IN THE LINE OF FIRE

By Yoel Guzansky December 1, 2010

As a way to contain Iran’s ambitions, the Gulf states’ policy combines elements of appeasement with a fundamental reliance on the United States as a defending and deterring force. Iran’s determination to continue with its nuclear program, more than ever, is already forcing them to struggle with a different type of threat perception, which so far has made it difficult for them openly to present a united front and thereby function as a counterforce to Iran’s might. The relative weakness … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gulf, Iran, MERIA Journal Volume 14, Number 04 (Dec 2010)

CHINA, IRAN, AND NORTH KOREA: A TRIANGULAR STRATEGIC ALLIANCE

By Christina Y. Lin March 5, 2010

Introduction: Iran in China’s Strategic Calculus There is a paucity of research on Sino-Iran relations in the international security literature, yet this relationship has important implications for East Asia and Middle East regional security. Historically, Sino-Iran relations span back thousands of years, and their modern partnership began in the 1970s, first with the Shah and then continuing with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, coupled with the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Iran, MERIA Journal Volume 14, Number 01 (Mar 2010)

Iran and the Arab World: A View from Riyadh

By Lars Berger September 3, 2009

THE IMAGE OF A SHI’A THREAT Expectations about a broad regional realignment vis-à-vis Iran are very much rooted in Neo-Realist assumptions about the self-help nature of international politics and the irrelevance of domestic politics. In the case of Saudi Arabia, such a perspective could therefore assume a natural tendency to align with Israel. Set apart from other actors in the region by specific (complementary) military and economic strengths and weaknesses, both countries … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gulf, Iran, Israel, MERIA Journal Volume 13, Number 03 (Sep 2009), Saudi Arabia

Iran’s Tenth Presidential Elections: Candidates, Issues, and Implications

By Ali R Abootalebi September 1, 2009

The 2009 Iranian presidential elections has marked a turning point in the country’s ongoing evolution toward a post-Islamist republic in which Islamic values and principles are not dictated but embraced. The unexpected popular unrest and political upheaval that has occurred reflects the polarization of social, economic, and political forces in the country. Each of these forces has a different vision for the future of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian political leadership now faces … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Iran, MERIA Journal Volume 13, Number 03 (Sep 2009), Middle East Politics

The Iran-Iraq War: Unattainable Objectives

By Joana Dodds and Ben Wilson June 6, 2009

The Iran-Iraq War is unique, being much longer and more intense than any previous conventional conflict in the region. A border dispute ballooned into one of the longest conventional wars of the twentieth century.Three factors explain the long duration: military ineptitude, political and ideological motivations, and geopolitical influences. Iraq possessed a large modern military, but its rigid, top-down doctrine, inept leadership, and lackadaisical battlefield performance failed to deliver the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Iran, Iraq, MERIA Journal Volume 13, Number 02 (Jun 2009)

French Trade and Sanctions Against Iran

By Michel Makinsky March 9, 2009

The French economic presence in Iran changed direction after the passage of the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) by the United States in 1996. In 2006, this act was subject to two major changes: first, sanctions against Libya were lifted; and second, the legislation was extended until 2011 under its new title, the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA). The new act implemented progressive sanctions against businesses investing in major Iranian sectors, in particular the energy sector. These sanctions included … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economics, Europe, Iran, MERIA Journal Volume 13, Number 01 (Mar 2009)

Implications of the Georgian Crisis for Israel, Iran, and the West

By December 5, 2008

The August 2008 conflict between Russia and Georgia has not only had a strong impact on the United States and Europe, but also on Israel and Iran. This article examines Israeli and Iranian reactions to the crisis, as well as its broader impact on regional energy and security concerns. The conflict that took place between Georgian and Russian forces in August 2008 has clearly had a strong impact on Russia's relations not only with Georgia, but also with Europe and the United States. It will be … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Central Asia, Europe, Georgia, Iran, Israel, MERIA Journal Volume 12, Number 04 (Dec 2008), Russia/USSR