A Policy-Oriented Think Tank Addressing Foreign Policy and National Security Issues for a Safe Israel

Iran and the Former Soviet States / Internal and Regional Policies

I&FSS is a research program dedicated to the systematic monitoring and analysis of Iran’s foreign policy toward the post-Soviet space, with particular focus on the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The program aims to identify strategic trends, ideological narratives, and tactical moves in Iran’s engagement with former Soviet republics, including its economic partnerships, diplomatic messaging, military overtures, and use of proxy networks or information warfare. By leveraging open-source intelligence, policy analysis, and expert commentary, the program seeks to provide timely assessments and long-term forecasts. It also examines the role of ethnic, religious, and energy-related factors in shaping Tehran’s regional strategies.

Iran’s Sleeper Networks, False Flags and the ISIS-K Question: How Tehran Operates in the Caucasus and Europe

From Stockholm to Baku, Iran's overseas terrorism doctrine no longer relies solely on Shiite proxies....

The IRGC Holds Power Over a Weakened Iran

Iran’s ruling military elite can still suppress dissent, but it cannot easily rebuild its lost...

How the War in Iran Affects Central Asia

Iran’s weakening has opened a strategic window: Central Asia is diversifying away from Tehran, strengthening...

Armenia Between a Rock and a Hard Place

With the war with Iran dominating global attention, Armenia faces mounting pressure from Moscow and...

Who Calls the Shots in Iran?

Power in Tehran now rests with the IRGC, as an incapacitated Mojtaba Khamenei and a...

Iran’s Mosaic Defense Faces Its Real Test

Shaped by the lessons of Iraq’s 2003 collapse, Tehran’s decentralized doctrine has kept the regime...

From Istanbul to Muscat: A Turning Point in Turkish-Iranian Rivalry

The venue shift in U.S.–Iran talks reveals deeper tensions over the Zangezur Corridor, regional influence,...

Ankara’s Crisis of Calculation

Turkey’s stance on Iran’s upheaval is shaped by entrenched fears of Israeli hegemony, the empowerment...

Iran’s Diplomatic Pivot in Armenia

Faced with Armenia’s westward realignment and growing U.S. involvement, Tehran has replaced an IRGC-affiliated ambassador...

Iran’s Crisis of Calculation

How Economic Unaccountability Is Driving a New Phase of Protest...

The Strategic Logic Behind Kazakhstan’s Abraham Accords Move

The decision highlights the Accords’ evolving role as a U.S.-led geopolitical instrument—and Astana’s calculated effort...

Visit of Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister to Israel: Iran Risks Losing an Ally

Yerevan’s Outreach to Israel and Its Effort to Pursue the Peace Process with Azerbaijan and...

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