News + Media

	Analysis + Opinion May 17, 2022 Let’s not grant Saudi Arabia a blank check for American support Trita Parsi and Steven SimonThe American Prospect In the view of Saudi Arabia and Israel, the presumed benefits of a binding US defense commitment just weren’t worth the cost. Washington might want to take a page from their book and think twice before limiting its own military options and shouldering greater obligations as storm clouds gather in Europe and Asia.
	In the News May 16, 2022 When dueling narratives deepen a divide Peter DizikesMIT News Office The book, “Republics of Myth: National Narratives and the US-Iran Conflict,” just published by Johns Hopkins University Press, explores the joint history of identities at odds with each other. The authors identify key moments when US-Iran tensions became further heightened and opportunities for détente dwindled.
	Analysis + Opinion May 13, 2022 Can Russia and the West survive a nuclear crisis in Ukraine? Barry PosenNational Interest The two sides have not managed a bilateral nuclear crisis in a very long time, and one does not really wish to find out if they can easily recover their Cold War vintage crisis management skills.
	Analysis + Opinion May 13, 2022 The Russo-Ukrainian war’s dangerous slide into total societal conflict Jonathan Shimshoni and Ariel E LeviteNational Interest The crisis in and over Ukraine, which is deeply rooted in conflicting societal perceptions of NATO’s expansion and the Westernization of Ukraine, is now increasingly sliding into an actual major societal confrontation. The three main actors—Russia, Ukraine, and the West—are pursuing victory by impacting all three societies, aiming to undermine adversaries and mobilize their citizens and those of their allies.
	Analysis + Opinion May 10, 2022 The clashing narratives that keep the US and Iran at odds Iran and the United States have sharply different national narratives, and that is one dominant reason why they have such difficulty talking to each other, much less agreeing on important matters like nuclear weapons. These narratives are, moreover, steeped in images and practices of violence, undermining any kind of conciliation.
	In the News May 7, 2022 US-Iran tensions and misperceptions Negar MortazaviIran Podcast John Tirman joins Iran Podcast host Negar Mortazavi for a conversation about US-Iran tensions and misperception.
	Analysis + Opinion May 6, 2022 Why the US wants a ban on ASAT missile testing Kunal SinghHindustan Times
	In the News May 6, 2022 Russia: What is Victory Day, and why is it important this May 9? Niko VorobyovAl Jazeera Quoted: “It’s hard to do a general conscription: I think that that’s when Russians would come out and protest,” said Elizabeth Wood, professor of history at MIT. “You can conscript all those people in Buryatia (a mountainous region in Siberia), but if you conscript Muscovites, they’ll protest. I don’t think he can declare victory, either. I think they’re planning a long slogging war.”
	In the News May 2, 2022 Why the US and Iran hate each other Daniel LarisonResponsible Statecraft Devising a better and more constructive Iran policy is important to making much-needed changes to the US role in the Middle East and to preventing another unnecessary war in the future, but there is little appetite in Washington to make the effort or to take the political risks that it would require. A first step in crafting a smarter Iran policy is to understand why US-Iranian relations have been so strained for such a long time and what obstacles stand in the way of changing that.
	Analysis + Opinion April 25, 2022 China and India need to reimagine what is possible on the border Nayanima BasuThe Print According to Taylor Fravel, China is now attempting to strengthen ties with India and a number of other developing countries as they have also not condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.