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 paper examines the progress of energy subsidy reforms in the Persian Gulf, documenting policy changes in all six monarchies and briefly examining the role of energy and the state.
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.
President Vladimir Putin's decision to withdraw the "main part" of Russia's forces from Syria blindsided most foreign policy experts and set off wide speculation about the reasons behind his move, writes Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes.
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.
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.