While Iran is widely recognized as one of the greatest threats to U.S. security and interests in the Middle East and beyond, its well-documented nuclear ambitions constitute only one aspect of Iran’s pursuit of regional hegemony. Equally important--though often overlooked--is its status as the world’s premier state sponsor of terrorism. Despite this threat, U.S. policy toward Iran and public appreciation of the Islamic Republic’s reach is too often limited to specific incidents, be they terror attacks, violations of nuclear commitments, or interference in Iraq. This “soda-straw” approach has caused many to fail to recognize what appears to be a deliberate strategy by the regime in Tehran to influence--and in some cases dominate--wide areas around the Middle East and in neighboring Afghanistan.

At this event, AEI resident scholar Frederick W. Kagan; Kimberly Kagan, president of the Institute for the Study of War; and AEI vice president for foreign and defense policy studies Danielle Pletka will present the findings of their new report, Iranian Influence in the Levant, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The authors will discuss Iranian activities in the Middle East and their implications for United States policy and interests in the region. AEI’s Ali Alfoneh will moderate.