Paul Bucala

How Iran is Learning from Russia in Syria

Iranian military cooperation with Russia in Syria is dramatically increasing Tehran’s ability to plan and conduct complex conventional op...

Iran's New Way of War in Syria

Iran is transforming its military to be able to conduct quasi-conventional warfare hundreds of miles from its borders.  This capability, ...

What Rafsanjani's death means for the Supreme Leader's succession

Rafsanjani’s unexpected death will transform the Iranian political system. The Supreme Leader and regime hardliners have lost a major obs...

A New Era for Iran's Military Leadership

Iran is reshaping its military command structure to enhance its ability to deploy and use conventional military power throughout the Midd...

Supreme Leader's Adviser Discloses Details on Iranian Efforts Abroad

A recent interview with Major General Hassan Firouzabadi, a senior military advisor to the Supreme Leader, provides valuable insight into...

Iranian involvement in missile attacks on the USS Mason

Iran almost certainly played a role in the missile attacks against the USS Mason near the Bab al Mandab Strait on October 9 and October 1...

Iran's Kurdish Insurgency

Kurdish militants have escalated attacks against Iranian security forces in the past six months. An escalation of the conflict would dive...

Here's How Iranian Airlines Are Violating Sanctions

Here’s the inescapable bottom line: Iran Air is violating sanctions.

Iran's Airbridge to Syria

Tehran appears to have developed an expansive network of repurposed commercial aircraft to supply its expanding war effort in Syria.

What the Khan Tuman defeat means for Iran

The IRGC suffered its first significant setback in the Aleppo campaign when al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al Nusra and allied groups in the J...

The Artesh in Syria: A fundamental shift in Iranian hard power

The Supreme Leader and Iran’s military leaders appear to have decided to re-purpose elements from the Artesh to support the IRGC actively...

Translation: The Artesh's Evolving Rhetoric

Iran in Syria: flexing more, not less, military muscle

Iran is rotating forces in and out of Syria, bolstering pro-Assad militia units and likely beefing up Tehran’s ability to project militar...

Iranian cyberattacks: What the Justice Department's indictment means and what it doesn't

The Justice Department’s indictment of seven Iranian hackers for a “coordinated cyber assault” against 46 major financial institutions an...

Iran's Evolving Way of War: How the IRGC Fights in Syria

Iranian officials have labored to conceal the extent of their involvement in the Syrian conflict, repeatedly insisting that they are only...

Iran Elections Tracker: Updates and Analysis

Moderates face uphill battle in Assembly of Experts

Get ready for another election crackdown in Iran--the Iranian regime is.

Iran's 2016 elections: The process, the players, and the stakes

The Russo-Iranian Military Coalition in Syria may be Deepening

The Russo-Iranian military coalition in Syria may be deeper than many have believed. The Iranian armed forces appear to be allowing Russi...

Iranian Cyber Strategy: A View from the Iranian Military

The Iranian Parliament's Response to President Rouhani: The JCPOA Committee Report

AEI's Critical Threats Project has translated the Iranian Parliament's report reviewing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

The Day After A Deal: What To Expect From Iran