Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran Please submit all media inquiries to avaez@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Ali Vaez is Crisis Group's Iran Project Director. Consulting closely with all sides in the nuclear negotiations for the past few years as our former Iran Senior Analyst, he led Crisis Group’s efforts in helping to bridge the gaps between Iran and the P5+1 and is renowned as one of the foremost experts on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. Professional Background Before joining Crisis Group, he headed the Iran project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington, DC. Trained as a scientist, Vaez has more than a decade of experience in journalism. He has written widely on Iranian affairs and is a regular contributor to mainstream media outlets. He was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University from 2008 to 2010 and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Geneva and a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Languages Persian French English In The News 2 Sep 2019 The French initiative is the last best hope for salvaging the [Iran nuclear] deal. Bloomberg Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 3 Jul 2019 It is a pity that despite its goodwill and efforts, Europe fell short of preserving [the nuclear deal] that incarnates European belief in multilateralism. AP Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 25 Jun 2019 The Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign [against Iran] has led to a climate that is ripe for inadvertent conflict. ABC Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 17 Jun 2019 In practice, maximum pressure has produced maximum peril and minimum strategic results. The New York Times Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 15 Jun 2019 If Iran was behind [the attacks on tankers], it is very clear the maximum pressure policy of the Trump administration is rendering Iran more aggressive, not less. The Washington Post Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 9 Jun 2019 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stands a good chance of trying to mediate or at least...de-escalate tensions [between the U.S. and Iran] at this point. Japan Times Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran Latest Updates Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 5 November 2019 U.S. Maximum Pressure Meets Iranian Maximum Pressure Eighteen months after Washington quit the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, Tehran is proceeding with staggered steps away from its own compliance. The deal is unravelling against the backdrop of high regional tensions. A de-escalation along the lines developed by France provides an off-ramp. Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 20 September 2019 After the Aramco Attack: A Middle East One Step Closer to Its “1914 Moment” On 14 September, strikes of uncertain provenance hit Saudi Arabia’s largest oil facilities, taking some 50 per cent of the kingdom’s oil production temporarily offline. Crisis Group offers a 360-degree view of the attacks and their implications for Middle Eastern and international peace and security. Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 16 August 2019 Ali Vaez : « Evitons un “1914” du Proche-Orient » Dans une tribune au « Monde », le spécialiste de l’Iran affirme que, si l’escalade se poursuit entre les Etats-Unis et l’Iran, le risque d’une déflagration qui embraserait tout le Proche-Orient, comme l’Europe en 1914, n’est pas à exclure. Originally published in Le Monde Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 8 July 2019 Iran's Nuclear Escalation Raises Stakes for U.S. and Europe Originally published in Axios Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 2 July 2019 Iran Isn’t Trying to Build a Bomb Tomorrow. It Wants Sanctions Relief. Originally published in Foreign Policy Load more