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. Languages Persian French English In The News 5 Jun 2018 Europe should [try to save the Iran nuclear deal] not because it has economic interests in Iran, which are quite negligible, but because it is in its own security interest. Without the nuclear deal, Iran will either obtain a nuclear bomb or will be bombed. Both of these outcomes will adversely affect Europe, who will feel the impact through more refugee flows and radicalisation. Debating Europe Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 14 May 2018 From the perspective of the leadership in Tehran, Iran and Europe against the US is a much better scenario than the U.S. and Europe against Iran. CS Monitor Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 5 May 2018 It took 13 years of a nuclear standoff with Iran to get a deal. It would be a pity to lose it as a result of something that could at the end of the day be considered a rough patch. Bloomberg Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 1 May 2018 We need the [Iran nuclear] deal to verify [Prime Minister Netanyahu's] claims, without it Iran can do whatever it wants. Al Jazeera Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 16 Mar 2018 One doesn’t ascend to the pinnacle of power from the position of a virtual underdog in Iran’s politics without having Machiavellian skills. No one could pose a serious challenge to [Ayatollah Khamenei]. Bloomberg Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran 16 Mar 2018 The Trump administration’s move to the right with [former Secretary of State] Tillerson’s departure, [replaced by former CIA director Mike] Pompeo, signals further hardening of Washington’s stance. Bloomberg Ali Vaez Project Director, Iran Latest Updates Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 25 May 2018 The Iran deal is on life support. Can Europe revive it? The key question is whether the sum total of what Europe can offer Iran is sufficiently robust – financially and symbolically – to give those in Iran who argue for restraint and continued engagement a chance. Originally published in euronews Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 16 January 2018 Can Europe Save the Iran Deal? Originally published in Foreign Affairs Op-Ed / Middle East & North Africa 15 January 2018 Iran’s Protests: Time to Reform Without addressing head-on the drivers of the protests and pursuing popular reform, the Iranian leaders are only buying time until the next standoff between the state and the society. Originally published in Open Democracy Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 4 January 2018 How Iran’s President Rouhani Can Turn Crisis into Opportunity Daily street protests across Iran since 28 December 2017 have pitted many young Iranians against the government, but the state’s response is revealing deep fractures in the political establishment. To outflank both the unrest and his political opponents, President Rouhani’s best option is to address head-on the drivers of the protests and pursue popular reform. Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 10 November 2017 A Huthi Missile, a Saudi Purge and a Lebanese Resignation Shake the Middle East Volatility is rising across the Middle East as local, regional and international conflicts increasingly intertwine and amplify each other. Four Crisis Group analysts give a 360-degree view of the new risks of overlapping conflicts that involve Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Lebanon and Israel. Load more