A conversation with:
Nasser Hadian
Professor
University of Tehran
Bilal Saab
Senior Fellow, Middle East Peace and Security Initiative, Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security
Atlantic Council
Moderated by:
Barbara Slavin
Senior Fellow, South Asia Center
Atlantic Council
An internal debate is occurring within Iran about its regional role in the aftermath of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program. Nasser Hadian will present the findings of his new paper which argues that Iranian policymakers are divided between those who believe Iran must act more forcefully to help stabilize its neighbors and those who advocate a more minimalist approach-- contrary to perceptions that Iran is solely determined to expand its intervention in regional conflicts, Particularly as they formulate their own JCPOA posture, US policymakers should be aware of this debate, seeking ways, where possible, of working with Iran to decrease conflict and to prevent traditional US allies from exacerbating instability.
The Iran Task Force, chaired by Ambassador Stuart E. Eizenstat, seeks to perform a comprehensive analysis of Iran's internal political landscape and its role in the region and globally, and explore opportunities for an improved relationship with the West. It is supported generously by the Ploughshares Fund.
Bios
Nasser Hadian is a Professor of Political Science at the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Tehran, where he also served as the Director of Graduate Studies from 1996-98. From 2001-04, he was a Visiting Professor and Research Scholar at the Middle East Institute and Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures Department at Columbia University. From 1992-95, Nasser was the Director of the Political Development Program at the Center for Strategic Research, a prominent Iranian think tank. Nasser's areas of scholarly and research interests include Iranian Contemporary Politics, Iran's Nuclear Program and Political Islam. He received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Bilal Y. Saab currently serves as Senior Fellow for Middle East Security at the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. Saab has more than thirteen years of experience working as an analyst, advisor, and corporate manager on the Middle East. He is a military and security expert on the Middle East with a focus on the Arab Gulf states, Lebanon, Syria, Hezbollah, and Iran's role and influence in the Levant. A prolific author, he has a BA from the American University of Beirut and two Masters degrees from the University of St. Andrews and the University of Maryland.
