Iran in the regional order: a truce or continued confrontation?

Event exploring potential areas of openings and confrontation in the coming year for Iran and the West in a rapidly evolving Middle East.

http://www.mixcloud.com/ECFR/15-january-2015-iran-in-the-regional-order-a-truce-or-continued-confrontation/

Guests

Karim Sadjadpour, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Julien Barnes-Dacey, Senior Policy Fellow, ECFR

Chaired by

Ellie Geranmayeh, ​Policy Fellow, ECFR

Possible conclusive developments in the nuclear talks this summer are likely to impact Tehran’s relations with regional powers, notably Saudi Arabia, and non-regional stakeholders such as the US, Russia and Europe.  Karim Sadjadpour discussed the thinking among policy makers in Tehran and the West to assess the prospects for a more functional relationship, particularly on de-escalating regional turmoil.

Iran remains a key regional player with its security interests directly and indirectly tied to the ongoing conflicts in its neighbourhood, including the strength of the Islamic State​. Julien Barnes-Dacey reflected on how the region views Tehran's recent regional positioning in response to the Islamic State, the impact of escalating sectarian divisions, and prospects for a convergence of regional interests towards de-escalation. 

Karim Sadjadpour is a Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He joined Carnegie after four years as the chief Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group based in Washington and Tehran.  

Julien Barnes-Daceyis a Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR's Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Ellie Geranmayeh is a Policy Fellow at ECFR's Middle East and North Africa Programme.