William Samii is an analyst and writer specializing in Iranian politics, security, and foreign policy. He contributed articles to The Weekly Standard between 2001 and 2005, focusing on Iran's military establishment, its regional ambitions, and its adversarial posture toward Iraq and the West. He has been recognized for his expertise on Iranian affairs, drawing on deep knowledge of the country's political and clerical power structures.
ON SEPTEMBER 24, the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued its most harshly worded resolution to date on the Iranian nuclear program. The resolution says that "some important outstanding issues" remain unclear despite "two and a half years of intensive…
CANDIDATES FOR IRAN'S JUNE 17 presidential election recently began registering to run. The entry into the race of three candidates linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the praetorian force created after the 1979 revolution, exemplifies the distinctly military tone the country's…
IN LIGHT OF Iran's growing political role in Iraq (to say nothing of reports of unofficial activity by Iranian agents), there is cause for concern in the steady stream of anti-American and anti-Coalition propaganda, including inflammatory lies, that continues to flow from Iran to audiences in Iraq…
IF THE UNITED STATES moves against Iraq, what attitude should it expect from neighboring Iran? Unfortunately, given improvements in Tehran-Baghdad relations, the considerable influence Tehran exerts over Iraqi opposition groups, and continuing poor relations between Tehran and Washington, the…
Kabul OUTSIDE his small workshop on a dusty street here the other day, Mohammad Nasim lined up a colorful display of satellite dishes. Shouting to be heard over the racket made by his ten workmen's hammers and drills, he said he's selling 25 to 30 satellite dishes a week. In Taliban times, sales…
THE CONFLICT to its east has presented Iran with a dilemma: whether and how to get involved in the war on terrorism. The Tehran government does not want to be seen as aiding Washington in its attack against a Muslim state, since anti-Americanism is one of the regime's founding myths, and to…