Academic and Policy Scholars
Afshon Ostovar: An Associate Chair at the Naval Postgraduate School and FPRI Fellow, Ostovar is widely cited for his expertise on the IRGC and Iranian military strategy. He recently provided extensive commentary on the limitations of diplomacy and the shift toward kinetic resolution in the 2026 conflict.
Abbas Milani: Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, Milani provides historical context on the 1979 revolution and its role in the current instability. He is a primary source for understanding the intersection of the Iranian economy and the survival of the clerical regime.
Reid Pauly: A nuclear security expert at Brown University, Pauly is frequently quoted regarding Iran’s nuclear “hedging” and the potential for the current war to trigger a dash for a nuclear weapon. His recent book, The Art of Coercion, is often used to frame the current U.S.-Israeli military campaign.
Holly Dagres: A Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of The Iranist, she is a leading voice on Iranian social media trends and the “Gen Z” defiance currently shaping domestic unrest.
Regional and Tactical Analysts
Farzin Nadimi: Also with the Washington Institute, Nadimi is a top specialist in Iranian defense affairs. He is currently providing technical analysis on the degradation of Iran’s naval and missile capabilities following Operation Midnight Hammer.
Avi Melamed: A former Israeli intelligence official, Melamed is frequently cited for his “inside-out” perspective on the psychological shifts within the Iranian population and the erosion of fear toward the regime during the 2025–2026 protests.
Jay Solomon: Author of The Iran Wars and a veteran investigative reporter, Solomon provides analysis on the reversal of Iran’s regional influence and the weakening of its proxy networks like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Arman Mahmoudian: A research fellow at the University of South Florida, Mahmoudian is a primary source for military technicalities, specifically regarding Iran’s ability to sustain missile barrages and the operational challenges of its underground bases.
Internal Strategists
Hassan Ahmadian: A professor at the University of Tehran, Ahmadian is one of the few voices within Iran currently being reached by Western outlets like UnHerd. He provides the regime-side perspective, arguing that the “Islamic system” remains institutionalized despite leadership losses.
To understand the 2026 Iran War, which began on February 28 following the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes and the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, these three books provide the necessary strategic and historical context.
Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History by Vali Nasr (2025)
This is the definitive text for understanding the logic behind the current conflict. Nasr argues that Iran’s actions are not merely revolutionary zeal but a calculated grand strategy aimed at preventing internal dissolution and external aggression. He traces the roots of this mindset back to the Iran-Iraq War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, explaining why the regime viewed a final confrontation with the West as an inevitability.
No Conquest, No Defeat: Iran’s National Security Strategy by Ariane M. Tabatabai (2020)
Tabatabai provides a deep dive into the military and security thinking of the Islamic Republic. She highlights the continuity between pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary Iranian defense policy. This book is essential for understanding how Iran manages its “Axis of Resistance” and why it relies on asymmetric warfare, which is currently being tested as its naval and missile capabilities face direct degradation.
The Story of the 2026 Iran Conflict: From Revolution to Rockets by Emmanuel Boakye (2026) (free!)
Published just as the current war erupted, this special report and book serve as a “blow-by-blow” chronicler of the 45-year build-up. Boakye connects the 1979 Revolution directly to the February 2026 strikes, providing a chronological account of the failed diplomacy and the June 2025 “Twelve-Day War” that served as the final prelude to the current open hostilities.
