A Man of the System Could Affect It
Ray Takeyh weighs the prospects for change in Iran under the newly elected President Hassan Rowhani.
Ray Takeyh weighs the prospects for change in Iran under the newly elected President Hassan Rowhani.
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.
Ray Takeyh debunks the myth that the CIA was responsible for Mossadeq's demise and the 1953 Iranian coup.
See more in Iran, Intelligence, Foreign Policy History
Ray Takeyh asks, "after nearly a decade of delusory diplomacy, it may be time to ask: What if Iran's supreme leader actually means what he says?"
Steven Cook and Michael Koplow examine recent developments in Istanbul.
See more in Turkey, Democracy Promotion
If the United States chooses to intervene in Syria, "there is no easy solution or middle ground," according to Ray Takeyh.
See more in United States, Syria, International Peace and Security, Conflict Assessment, U.S. Strategy and Politics, Congress and Foreign Policy, Foreign Aid
Ray Takeyh writes about Iran's upcoming election.
Steven Cook inspects the role of Islam in Egyptian, Turkish, and Tunisian society and culture.
See more in Tunisia, Turkey, Middle East, Egypt, Society and Culture, Political Movements, Religion, Religion and Politics
Ray Takeyh examines examples of foreign policy failures turned success, including "the shift in U.S. containment policy during the early stages of the Truman presidency; the changed U.S. approach to the Vietnam War after Richard Nixon's 1968 election; and George W. Bush's surge in Iraq."
See more in United States, U.S. Strategy and Politics, Foreign Policy History
In his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa, Ray Takeyh discusses Iran's political history and how it influences the Islamic Republic's commitment to its nuclear program and radical ties.
Ray Takeyh warns that the West is falling into a diplomacy trap set by Iranian clerics regarding the nuclear Non-Prolifieration Treaty (NPT).
See more in Iran, UN, Treaties, Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament
Ray Takeyh calls for "a more imaginative re-conceptualization of the existing diplomatic paradigm," between the United States and Iran.
See more in United States, Iran, Arms Control and Disarmament
Steven A. Cook writes, "As America's new secretary of state arrives in Cairo, it's still not clear the United States knows what it's dealing with."
A take-it-or-leave-it deal by the United States on the nuclear issue is the wrong strategy, says Ray Takeyh.
See more in Iran, Weapons of Mass Destruction
Though the results of Israel's recent election point to the creation of a new and potentially more conciliatory government, Steven A. Cook says tensions between Jerusalem and Ankara run too deeply for a single election to make much difference.
In the nuclear dispute between Iran and the United States, a grand bargain is unlikely given the level of mistrust between the two parties. What's more realistic is a modest compromise that breaches the wall of mistrust and potentially sets the stage for further-reaching arms control measures, says Ray Takeyh.
See more in United States, Iran, Arms Control and Disarmament
Ray Takeyh says, "Ali Khamenei may not want a deal with America, but increasingly he cannot afford not to have one. Ironically, a more circumscribed agreement that allows him to sustain the essential character of his nuclear program and his slogans of resistance may be his path out of the dilemma of his own creation."
See more in United States, Iran
Steven A. Cook says, "This is a critical moment in Egypt's transition; Morsi and his colleagues would do well to recognize that, rescind the decrees, and commit themselves to the democratic process. At this point, it is the only way for the Brothers to burnish their revolutionary credentials."
See more in Egypt, Democratization
Thanks to the rift between Turkey and Israel, Ankara's days as a power broker in the Arab-Israeli conflict are over, says Steven A. Cook.
See more in Turkey, Israel, Palestinian Authority, International Peace and Security
Steven A. Cook says Gaza's radiating instability proves once again that Palestine is at the center of the region's problems.
See more in Israel, Palestinian Authority, International Peace and Security
The David Rockefeller Studies Program is CFR’s “think tank.” Its work is integral to achieving CFR’s goal of contributing to the foreign policy debate. Fellows in the Studies Program do this by researching, writing, and commenting on the most important challenges facing the United States and the world.