Shay Khatiri

Articles by this Author
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
U.S. Navy warships transit the Arabian Sea on June 30, 2026, to promote regional security and stability.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Is Confident About Victory. Only Strategic Setback Can Change That
The Regime Media Continue to Portray the Current Phase of the War as Unprovoked, Omitting Iran’s Assaults on Shipping
July 25, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Middle East Forum Observer
New Araghchi Interview Reveals Iranian Delusions and Vulnerabilities
Araghchi Claims That the War Occurred Because Tehran Refused Concessions That Would Limit Uranium Enrichment
July 20, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
Mohammad Khatami Wants an ‘Honorable Peace.’ Hardliners Do Not
The Former President’s Remarks Suggest the Degree to Which Control Is Fracturing in the Islamic Republic
July 18, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
An aerial view of Qeshm Island.
Middle East Forum Observer
To Win the War Against Iran, the United States Must Seize Qeshm Island
In U.S. Hands, Qeshm Would Flip the Script—Iran No Longer Could Easily Target the Strait of Hormuz
July 11, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Middle East Forum Observer
The Ins and Outs of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s Funeral
Many Are Noting Mojtaba Khamenei’s Absence on the Funeral’s First Day, but There Were Other Sideshows
July 5, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalbaf
Middle East Forum Observer
Should the United States Help Ghalibaf Triumph in Iran’s Power Struggle?
Trump Could Act as the New Supreme Leader, Refereeing by Drone and Tomahawk Disputes Within the Islamic Republic
May 12, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Iran believes it has won the war by asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Middle East Forum Observer
No, a Blockade Will Not Be Enough to Bring Down Iran
U.S. Desperation to Stabilize the Global Economy and the Ceasefire Increased Iran’s Stockpile of Will
April 14, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf in a 2021 file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
Trump May See Ghalibaf as Iran’s Delcy Rodriguez, but Does He Have a Path to Power?
Both on Policy and Intelligence Levels, the U.S. Government’s Knowledge of Iran Pales in Comparison to That of Venezuela
April 6, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
People burned photos of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during protests in Italy in January 2026.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iran Is Terrified of the ‘Day After’ the War
The Regime Is Worried About Another Uprising After the War and Cannot Trust Its Own Forces to Get the Job Done
March 31, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mojtaba Khamenei, center, in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Media Should Not Call Mojtaba Khamenei ‘Ayatollah’
Mojtaba Is a Fraud Under the Islamic Republic’s Constitution, Which Sets ‘Grand Ayatollah’ as the Full Rank for the Supreme Leader
March 15, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
The flag of the Islamic Republic on a cracked wall.
Middle East Forum Observer
The Futile Search for Moderates Within the Iranian Regime
The Islamic Republic May Be Portraying Certain Leaders as Pragmatists as Part of a Deliberate Campaign
March 9, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
A portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini looms over the street in Shiraz, Iran, in December 2025.
Middle East Forum Observer
Until Iran Grows Its Civil Society, It Will Need a Benevolent Strongman
Post-Islamic Republic Iran Will Need to Remove the Security Forces from Politics and the Economy
March 7, 2026
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Shay Khatiri
Mojtaba Khamenei with his children on Qods Day in 2018.
Middle East Forum Observer
Mojtaba Khamenei’s Election to Supreme Leadership Is Not the End
The U.S. and Israel Are Eliminating Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commanders Who Want Him in Place
March 3, 2026
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Shay Khatiri