Shay Khatiri

Articles by this Author
Iranian missiles launch during the U.S.-Israel-Iran war.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Threatens to Attack Europe
Tehran’s Attempt to Turn U.S. Allies and Partners Into Lobbyists Against Renewed Conflict Could Backfire
November 11, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack on Iran would trigger a regional war.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Considers Leaving the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Iran’s Official Stance on the Treaty Has Not Changed but a Range of Iranian Officials Now Push for a Withdrawal
November 4, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
An empty corridor inside the Grand Bazaar of Isfahan, Iran, with closed shops.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran at a Domestic Stalemate as It Seeks to End ‘Neither Peace, nor War’
Iranian Decision-Makers Remain Undecided About the Regime’s Way Out of the Problem, Fearing Another Uprising
October 29, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Undersea communications cables are covered in feather-like hydroids.
Middle East Forum Observer
What Might Happen If Iran Makes Good on Threats to Sever Undersea Cables
‘If They Attack the Infrastructures of Our Country, It Is Natural That the Islamic Republic Will ... Destroy Their Assets,’ the Revolutionary Guard Warned
October 24, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Fishing boats on the beach in the port city of Chabahar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman in Sistan and Balochistan province.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Stretched Forces Look Desperate as Attacks in Sistan and Baluchistan Mount
There Have Been Dozens of Incidents for Which Jaysh Al-Adl Has Claimed Credit, and Other Unclaimed Attacks
October 16, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi at the United Nations in New York in September 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
What Ongoing Impeachment Struggles Say About Iran’s Factionalism
If the Establishment Saves Both Ministers, It Will Show That the Reformists and Military Are Coalescing Around the Regime
October 14, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Sees United Arab Emirates as an Enemy Alongside the United States and Israel
Iran’s Relationship with the Emirates Appears to Be Reaching a Point of No Return
October 5, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mourners in the streets of Tehran for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's funeral.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Seeks Revenge for Killing of Khamenei
Avenging the Supreme Leader’s Death in the War Is State Policy, and Iranian Media and Officials Reflect It
September 30, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
An interior view of Tehran's streets and squares in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
What Does the Iranian Regime’s Changing Position on Exiles Suggest?
The Regime Has Compiled a List of More than 100 Diaspora Members Who Will Be Allowed to Return to Iran
September 23, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Protesters in Tehran, Iran, in January 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Internal Battle over Tehran Street Protests
The Most Conservative Hardliners Worry That the Regime Is Losing Its Islamic Posture
September 18, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
A woman walks past an anti-America mural on a wall in Tehran.
Middle East Forum Observer
As Tehran Turns to Preemptive Attacks, Iran Believes It Can Win a War of Attrition
Iran So Far Has Adapted to the Conditions the United States Has Imposed on It
September 9, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran’s Economy Slowly Deteriorates, but Policy Remains Steadfast
The Islamic Republic Will Worry When It No Longer Can Pay Its Security Forces
September 2, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
A Spanish national received approval to invest in the Iranian mining industry.
Middle East Forum Observer
European Capital Begins to Flow Into Iran
The Trump Administration Must Lean on Allies and Partners to Enforce U.S. Sanctions
August 27, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Trump, speaking to Fox News, professed himself in no hurry for diplomatic progress, saying that "We have all the cards. They can call us anytime they want."
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Believes It Will Survive Trump’s ‘Economic D-Day’
Tehran Pushes Back, Casting Doubt on the Effectiveness of Economic Pressure and Predicting U.S. Failure
August 21, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
The Port of Anzali on the Caspian Sea coast in northern Iran.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Moves to Legally Secure Itself at the Caspian Sea
An Upcoming Summit and Iran’s Pending Ratification of a Security Treaty Have Reopened Discussions About the Coastline
August 16, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Middle East Forum Observer
How Does Iran View the Saudi-Pakistan-Turkey Mecca Pact?
Iranian Officials Portray the Pact as Dissatisfaction with U.S. Security Assurances and Israeli Attacks Against Qatar and Syria
August 11, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, headed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ irregular warfare division.
Middle East Forum Observer
Zolghadr’s Ouster Suggests That The Islamic Republic Is Finding Its Postwar Footing
Zolghadr Had Ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but Was Primarily Involved with Domestic Suppression
August 10, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq during a 2025 visit to Russia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Oman Is Iran’s Partner in Piracy
The Two Reportedly Are Mulling an Agreement Covering Insurance, Refueling, Environmental Services, and Other Naval Support
August 8, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is pictured in July 2025 at the BRICS plenary session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Threatens Neighbors as Talk of a ‘Land Blockade’ Grows
Iran Appears Confident That It Can Survive and Is Conducting Aggressive Diplomacy to Fend off Attacks on Infrastructure
August 3, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Iran used a cargo ship in the Caspian Sea to transfer weapons to Russia.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Islamic Republic Cannot Accept That It Invited the Ukrainian Strike
Regime Officials Threatened War in the Caspian Sea and Promised to Punish Ukraine and the United States
July 28, 2026
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Shay Khatiri