International Institute for Iranian Studies

Significations and Potential Outcomes of Pezeshkian’s Visit to Qom

Following the killing of Ali Khamenei and the succession of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as Iran’s third supreme leader, the Iranian establishment entered an exceptionally sensitive phase. The challenges posed by the war and the nuclear agreement with the United States coincided with the ...

The Situation Inside Iranian Prison Cells Amid the US-Israel War on Iran

Following the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran, Iranian media outlets have drawn renewed attention to prison conditions as Iranian authorities intensify their crackdown on dissent through a sharp rise in arrests, executions and other forms of repression. Human rights violations have reportedly ...

Implications of the Ukrainian Attack in the Caspian Sea

The war in Eastern Europe reached a strategic threshold when long-range Ukrainian uncrewed aerial vehicles targeted maritime traffic in the Caspian Sea. The strike on an Iranian merchant vessel operating in waters previously considered safe represents an operational shift by Kyiv. By expanding combat ...

The Causes and Impacts of the Recent Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

As the regional security situation in the Middle East continues to be uncertain, the Houthis recently claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure, reopening a volatile front. Saudi-linked commercial vessels, including the NCC MASA, were also attacked in the Red Sea. Although the vessel ...