Alex Vatanka
Alex Vatanka is a scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C., where he focuses on Iran. He also lectures as a Senior Fellow in Middle East Studies at the U.S. Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS).
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Articles by Alex Vatanka
Iran’s Russian Conundrum
Summary Following Russia’s decision in September 2015 to intervene militarily in the Syrian war, speculation has been rife in Washington that President Vladimir Putin’s ultimate end-goal is to eclipse America’s...
Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka Published in Foreign Affairs
Alex Vatanka co-authored an article on Oman's role and relationships with other countries in the Middle East for Foreign Affairs.
Middle East Eye Quotes Alex Vatanka
Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka discussed how sectarianism between Sunni and Shi'a states in the Middle East is fueling an arms trade for Middle East Eye.
Hot Issue: Iran’s Two-Pronged Problem with the Islamic State: At Home and Abroad
Executive Summary The authorities in Iran consider the Islamic State to pose two different kinds of threats to Iranian regional interests and domestic stability. On the one hand, the rise...
Hot Issue: Iran and the Looming U.S.-Russian Cold War
Executive Summary As the Western world is drawn in by the recent events in the Crimea, nations on the periphery are seeing a chance to use the widening gulf between...
Alex Vatanka quoted by International Business Times
Alex Vatanka was quoted by International Business Times in an articles about Iran's accusation that Saudi Arabia's intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, masterminded the late November 2013 bomb attack...
Alex Vatanka quoted by International Business Times
Jamestown's Alex Vatanks was quoted by International Business Times in an article title "CIA Admits to Iran 1953 Coup, But Revelations Unlikely To Thaw US-Tehran Relations."
Alex Vatanka quoted by Perfil
Alex Vatanka was quoted by Argentine newspaper Perfil in an article titled "Why Iran is holding the agreement by the AMIA"
Probing the Reasons behind Iran’s “Pre-emptive” Military Offensive against Kurdish Rebels
Iranian military forces began a large-scale and ongoing offensive in the northwestern part of the country in early July. The target of the operation is the militant Kurdish group Partiya...
Special Commentary: Iran’s War of Words with the GCC Heats Up
Executive SummaryThe Islamic Republic of Iran holds a strategic position in the middle of the Arab world in light of the popular uprisings occurring throughout the region. It is not...