With Ayatollah Khamenei set to replace Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a "fawning admirer" of his choosing, Ahmadinejad may be missed for his ability to challenge the Islamic Republic's ruling religious hierarchy.

Gayle Lemmon discusses the multiple options which members of the Obama administration are weighing regarding U.S. intervention in the ongoing Syrian conflict.

Matt Waxman argues that even if President Obama is able close Guantanamo, nothing he has done so far will prevent the creation of another detention facility.

The U.S. military can learn from West Point about how to approach sexual misconduct cases, writes Jeanne Hull.

Syria, arms control, and economic ties are likely to be the focus of the Putin-Obama meeting in Northern Ireland, where both sides are hoping to set a new tone for the relationship, says CFR's Stephen Sestanovich.

A preview of world events in the coming week from CFR.org: Presidential elections are held in Iran; the G8 convenes in Northern Ireland; and President Obama goes to Berlin.

Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes stated on June 13, 2013, that "our intelligence community assesses that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons."

The Supreme Court ruled on June 13, 2013, that Myriad Genetics could not patent human genes they isolated from the bloodstream, because the company "did not create anything," but that synthetic forms of the genes may be eligible for patents.

Israel has discovered substantial natural gas deposits off its shores in the last four years. While these gas finds are not significant in terms of global gas supply (they constitute less than two percent of the world's proven gas reserves), they do appear large enough not only to meet Israel's needs, but to enable Israel to export significant quantities.

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Chinese officials see stability on the Korean peninsula under the Korean Armistice as a component that has enabled China's growth for over three decades. Despite a growing difference between the economic systems of China and North Korea, China's communist party leadership feels an affinity with North Korea because its government, like China's, pursues one-party leadership under a socialist banner.

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A conservative candidate seems likely to win Iran's presidential election this week, but the reform movement may yet be energized by the remaining moderate contender, says CFR's Ray Takeyh.

Douglas A. Ollivant of Mantid International, Robert Satloff of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Mona Yacoubian of Stimson Center discuss the potential regional fallout of the Syrian civil war.

There is no evidence that signature strikes will be reduced or ended based upon anything the Obama administration has recently stated.

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Are Iran's presidential elections too tightly controlled, or will they offer an opportunity for reformist voices to emerge? This Issue Guide traces the campaign and essential background.

With widespread protests in Istanbul and a dozen other cities throughout Turkey, Steven A. Cook argues on the Washington Post that the European Union should reengage Turkey's stalled membership bid as a way to encourage Prime Minister Erdogan to implement democratic reforms at home.

Never solely a military organization in the traditional sense, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)—also known as the Pasdaran (Persian for "guards")—has seen a significant expansion and diversification of its domestic roles since the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005.

In the Los Angeles Times, Max Boot argues that, rather than being a scandal, NSA intercepts are a vital tool in the global war on terror.

Ray Takeyh debunks the myth that the CIA was responsible for Mossadeq's demise and the 1953 Iranian coup.

Author and journalist Hooman Majd, and Iran scholar Mohsen Milani discuss about the Iranian presidential election, the political future of the country, and the impact on U.S. foreign policy.

Karen Brooks remembers Taufiq Kiemas, chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly in Indonesia, senior member of Indonesia's largest opposition party, husband of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, former student activist, and her personal friend, following his death, Saturday, June 8.