AUTHOR'S BIO

Mehdi Khalaji

Mehdi Khalaji, who studied for 14 years in seminaries in Qom, Iran, is a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East policy. Khalaji’s father, a cleric in Qom, was recently arrested by the regime, and his family have had their passports confiscated.

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Iran’s Republic of Fear

Mehdi Khalaji Series: Islam

2010-01-18

Iran’s clerical regime governs by a simple formula: he who is the most frightening, wins. But cultivating fear in others also makes one more susceptible to fear, and nothing is more frightening to the Islamic Republic's leaders than the social dynamism unleashed by the democratic movement brewing inside the country.... read

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Iran’s Muddled Presidential Politics

Mehdi Khalaji Series: The World in Words

2009-03-17

The most important question posed by Iran’s presidential election this June is not who will be elected, but what that choice will reveal about the intentions of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's next president may be able to adjust economic or social policies, but it is Khamenei who decides on the biggest issues: relations with the West and the country's nuclear program.... read

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Getting to Yes With Iran

Mehdi Khalaji Series: Islam

2008-02-18

To resolve outstanding issues with Iran, the West should be dealing with the only person powerful enough to make deals and deliver concessions. That person is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, not President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.... read

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The Decline of Ahmedinejad

Mehdi Khalaji Series: The World in Words

2007-10-18

Mahmoud Ahmedinejad may be gaining support across the Muslim world for his fervent criticism of the United States, but inside Iran, his political rivals are gaining new positions of power, and economic decline has alienated the public. American policymakers should bear in mind that only military confrontation could revive his position.... read

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Iran’s Political Clerics

Mehdi Khalaji Series: Islam

2006-10-26

Iran’s theocratic regime appears more confident than ever. Its standoff with the West over its nuclear program, together with its ties to Syria and its growing influence in Lebanon and Iraq, suggest the emergence of a strong regional power. But, while Western analysts and Iran’s neighbors raise the alarm, the regime’s authority is in fact built on insecure foundations.... read

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