Vatanka Reports
News and Analysis on the Greater Middle East

Whither the IRGC of the 2020s?
Is Iran’s Proxy Warfare Strategy of Forward Defense Sustainable?
January 15th, 2021
This report examines the historical development of Iran’s proxy warfare strategy under Soleimani, the sustainability of the strategy today, and draws lessons from the clash between Iranian proxy strategy and America’s new hard power approach.

Iran’s bottom line in Afghanistan
November 9, 2017
Due to proximity and historical ties, no other country is as well placed as Iran to play a dominant role in Afghan society, as Middle East Institute senior fellow Alex Vatanka shows in his new paper, Iran’s Bottom Line in Afghanistan.

The Guardian of Pakistan's Shia
June 1, 2012
The town of Parachinar, located in a far-flung corner of western Pakistan, is fondly called by some Iranian Shiites “Little Iran.” The majority of the town’s residents are ethnic Pashtuns who belong to the Shia faith.

The Islamic Republic's Cross-Sectarian Outreach
April 12, 2011
At a time of unprecedented popular unrest in key Arab states of the Middle East, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated in a February 21, 2011 speech that two simple remedies are required to solve the problems that afflict the contemporary Islamic World.

'Ali Khamene'i: Iran's Most Powerful Man
March 1, 2008
On January 3, 2008, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah ‘Ali Khamene’i once again sought to remind domestic and foreign audiences about his stature in Tehran.