Research Library

This working paper analyzes the roots of Iran’s “dissonant” political system and revolutionary ideology, the fractious contest over defining and applying this ideology, and the implications of these struggles for Iranian foreign and security policy.

This working paper analyzes the prospects of Iran changing its domestic and foreign policy behavior over the longer term, and outlines what the United States and others can do to promote such changes.

This working paper examines whether Iran has become more moderate in domestic and foreign policy affairs as a result of the Iran nuclear deal.

This working paper discusses the “pattern of wary engagement” between Russia and Iran and its implications for future regional security issues in the Middle East. The paper was presented as part of the "U.S.-Iran Relations at a Crossroads" conference at the Baker Institute.

This working paper discusses the regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Using the work of the women’s caucus in Iran’s Sixth Parliament as a case study, the authors examine women’s struggles to obtain a voice and influence within an authoritarian polity and a male-dominated political body.

Islamist parties throughout the world have routinely disregarded environmental concerns in their discourse and actions. However, Islam as a religion places strong emphasis on environmental protection. Thus, it is puzzling that environmental policy is all but absent from most Islamist platforms, writes Middle East Center research scholar A.Kadir Yildirim.

With the implementation of the Iran nuclear agreement, many Gulf Cooperative Council states now openly wonder whether U.S. support can still be relied upon, given the speed with which the U.S. government has engaged Iran in negotiation and diplomacy since 2013. This incomprehension may lead to further instability in the Middle East as the Gulf States continue to take increasingly unilateral action in Yemen and other regional conflict zones, fellow for the Middle East Kristian Coates Ulrichsen writes.

The Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris demonstrated a change in strategy by the Islamic State — a willingness to strike outside of the Middle East. But this also yields an opportunity for a U.S.-led coalition to come together to defeat a common enemy, writes Baker Institute director Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian.

Modern contraceptive methods, such as condoms, can be stigmatized in Middle Eastern culture due to their perceived connection to illicit sexual activities, and some believe the use of condoms to be incompatible with the teachings of Islam. This issue brief examines condom use rates in the Middle East and the role of cultural orientations in contraceptive choice.