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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.

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Research 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

Arab Public Opinion Under Pressure
Seven experts take the pulse of public opinion in the Middle East and North Africa, from evolving views of external and regional powers to political priorities to the impacts of social media. 
Omar H. Rahman, Michael Robbins, Hamidreza Azizi, Marc Owen Jones, Yasmina Abouzzohour, Dalia Ghanem, Ahmed Morsy
How Will Iran React to Israel’s Latest Strikes?
Bracing for the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, Tehran continues to downplay the impact of Israeli military provocations on Iranian soil.
Hamidreza Azizi
A Region Under Fire
Reflections from MENA thinkers on the past year of the war on Gaza and its regional aftershocks.
Omar H. Rahman, Nadim Houry, Joseph Bahout, Hamidreza Azizi, Tarik M. Yousef, Abdulaziz Sager, Dania Thafer, Mohammad Abu Rumman, Hasan Jaber
Interview: A Step Back for Iran’s “Forward Defense”
Hezbollah's recent losses, including the assassination of Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, are a major blow to the organization and the wider “Axis of Resistance,” undermining decades of Iranian regional strategy.
Hamidreza Azizi
Targeted Assassinations and the Threat of Regional War – Council Views
ME Council experts assess the impact of Israel’s war on Gaza, 300 days in, and the recent assassinations of senior leaders of Hamas and Hizballah.
Hamidreza Azizi, Beverley Milton Edwards, Omar H. Rahman, Tarik M. Yousef, Adel Abdel Ghafar, Mohammad Abu Hawash, Jin Liangxiang
The Unlikely Election of Another Reformist in Iran
Amid deep public apathy that should have made victory nearly impossible, a snap election has brought to power the little-known reformist politician Masoud Pezeshkian. How did it happen?
Hamidreza Azizi
What Does President Raisi’s Death Mean for the Islamic Republic?
Amid regional tensions, the fatal helicopter crash raises questions about Iran’s future domestic and foreign policy.
Hamidreza Azizi
Iran-Israel Tensions Emerge from the Shadows – Council Views
Middle East Council experts analyze the implications of the exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel for the ongoing war on Gaza.
Galip Dalay, Omar H. Rahman, Ranj Alaaldin, Özge Genç, Adel Abdel Ghafar, Shahram Akbarzadeh, Hamidreza Azizi
The Hamas Raid and Israel's Onslaught of Gaza
Middle East Council experts offer their thoughts on the unfolding crisis in Palestine-Israel that began on October 7.
Ali Bin Musa, Shahram Akbarzadeh, Sahar Khamis, Nader S. Kabbani, Beverley Milton Edwards, Hamidreza Azizi, Omar H. Rahman, Galip Dalay, Noha Aboueldahab, Saoud El Mawla, Faozi Al-Goidi
Is a New Iran Nuclear Deal in the Making?
Tehran and Washington are talking once again, with a more limited nuclear deal than the JCPOA rumored to be in the works. What is driving both sides to give negotiations another try, and what would it mean if they succeed?
Hamidreza Azizi
How Does Iran View Syria's Return to the Arab League?
Iran has stood by the Assad regime's side for the past 12 years of civil war. Now that Syria is reentering the fold in the Arab world, where does that leave its stalwart ally in Tehran?
Hamidreza Azizi

Publications

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November 6, 2024
Middle East -
Iran’s Shifting Discourse on Nuclear Weaponization: Bargaining Tactic or Doctrine Change?

In this atmosphere of heightened tensions, calls to revise the country’s nuclear doctrine have increased in Iran.

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June 5, 2024
Middle East -
Iran’s Evolving Foreign Policy Structure: Implications on Foreign Relations

This issue brief aims to explore the transformation of Iran’s foreign policy decision-making process and structure in the past three years, highlighting the impact of growing power centralization, anti-Westernism, militarization, and authoritarianism in Iran.

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April 19, 2024
MENA region -
Iran in the Middle East: Building Bridges or Expanding Influence?

Introduction Iran’s role in the Middle East is both historical and evolving, marked by a strategic interplay of religion, ideology, politics, and regional dynamics. As a country situated at the core of vital geopolitical junctures, Iran’s actions have far-reaching implications, resonating across the region and beyond. This dossier is dedicated to deciphering the complexities of… Continue reading Iran in the Middle East: Building Bridges or Expanding Influence?

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