An ongoing showdown between Iran’s moderate pragmatists (who favor a “China model” of liberalizing the economy and opening up diplomatically, while keeping the political space constricted) and its hardline conservatives (who favor Putin’s “Russia model” of securitizing the state and the economy to prevent a U.S.-supported regime change) has seemed to shift to the conservatives’ advantage.
"The U.S. should be aware that its policies could have unintended consequences for the internal balance of power in Iran," writes Middle East fellow Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar.
Click here to read "Iran's Russian Turn: The Start of a New Alliance," published Nov. 12, 2015, in Foreign Affairs (full article).
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