Professor Abbas Milani
Professor Abbas Milani, Director of the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies, offers an inside look into the politics at play within Iran, in light of the country's presidential election last spring and heightened tensions between Iran and the White House.
"The quest for democracy in the Islamic Republic of Iran has been a story of tiny steps forward overshadowed by heart-wrenching setbacks," he writes in the October issue of The Journal of Democracy. "The May 2017 presidential election offers a window into the painful predicament of a democracy-minded society—demographically young, globally inclined, and social-media savvy—subordinated to an authoritarian polity. The reelection of Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatist whose campaign had embraced reformism, scarcely dented the unwillingness of conservative forces to loosen their grip. And though fierce intraelite conflicts that began during the race have exposed cracks in the once-monolithic clerical regime, no one should underestimate the resiliency of Iran’s authoritarians or their determination to keep their grip on critical levers of power."
In Project Syndicate, he explains how President Trump's approach to the country is strengthening Iran's radicals: "U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pursue a more aggressive Iran policy underscores his administration’s misunderstanding of the Iranian regime. Shelving the 2015 nuclear deal would not only heighten regional tensions; it would also embolden the very hardliners that the U.S. has been seeking to contain."
He further explains how upholding the Iran nuclear deal is wiser for U.S. interests in a Q&A with Stanford News, and discusses tensions between the two countries on NPR's Forum with Michael Krasny.