Hamidreza Azizi
Nonresident Fellow
Bio
Hamidreza Azizi is a nonresident fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He is also a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and an associate researcher at Clingendael – the Netherlands Institute of International Relations.
Prior, Azizi was an associate fellow at Al Sharq Strategic Research in 2022. He also lectured at several Iranian universities, including the University of Tehran (2016-2018) and Shahid Beheshti University (2016-2020). Azizi’s research interests include security and geopolitical issues in the Middle East and Central Eurasia, Iran’s foreign and security policy, and Iran-Russia relations.
Azizi has published many books, academic articles, and policy papers in English and Persian. His latest peer-reviewed articles were published in the Mediterranean Politics, the Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, and Small Wars & Insurgencies. His analysis has been featured in many research and media outlets including Chatham House, the Middle East Institute (MEI), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), Foreign Policy, The National Interest, and Al-Monitor, among others.
contact fellowResearch Areas
- Peace and conflict
- Regional security
- Armed Non-State Actors
Countries of Focus
- Iran
- Russia
- Syria
- Iraq
Other Areas of Interest
- Russia’s policy in the Middle East
- Iran’s foreign and security policy
- Iran-Russia relations
Education
- Ph.D., Regional Studies, University of Tehran, 2015
- M.A., Regional Studies, University of Tehran, 2011
- B.A., Political Science, Shahid Beheshti University, 2009
Articles
Omar H. Rahman, Michael Robbins, Hamidreza Azizi, Marc Owen Jones, Yasmina Abouzzohour, Dalia Ghanem, Ahmed Morsy
Omar H. Rahman, Nadim Houry, Joseph Bahout, Hamidreza Azizi, Tarik M. Yousef, Abdulaziz Sager, Dania Thafer, Mohammad Abu Rumman, Hasan Jaber
Publications
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On July 2, 2025, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian formally enacted a law suspending Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The move, approved unanimously by Iran’s parliament and endorsed by the Guardian Council, effectively halted inspections and reporting on Iran’s nuclear program by the agency “until the security of the nuclear facilities is guaranteed.” The legislation marks the most significant shift in Iran’s nuclear posture since the country’s accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970.
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On January 17, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in Moscow. The agreement is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations over the next 20 years. Reportedly delayed by the death of Pezeshkian’s predecessor Ebrahim Raisi in May 2024 and disagreements over details, the treaty came at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions for both countries and was hailed by officials in Tehran and Moscow as a sign of deepening strategic alignment.
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In this atmosphere of heightened tensions, calls to revise the country’s nuclear doctrine have increased in Iran.
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