Steven Tibbitts

Policy Recommendations to Counter Iranian Expansionism

Iran has significantly increased its efforts to expand its influence and sway across the Middle East, in locations as diverse as Iraq, Syria, and Morocco. It has followed a shrewd strategy of realpolitik that adjusts to constantly shifting politics in the region.

Iran is currently embarked on a campaign to extend both its territorial control and its ideological influence across the Middle East. Historically, post-1979 Iranian expansionism has roots in the ideology of the Islamic Revolution, nuances in official Iranian interpretation of Shia Islam, and Iranian security concerns.