Hussein Banai

The writer is associate professor of International Studies at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Indiana University, and the author of several books on Iran’s political development and US-Iran relations

Authors you can follow

More From Hussein Banai

Iran’s future will be decided by Iranians, not by the US or exiled princesSign In to read

January 13, 2026 12:18 IST

Transitions are rarely linear, and history offers no guarantees. But what is clear is that the Islamic Republic has reached the limits of its governing imagination. It no longer knows how to adapt without undoing itself

Tue, Jan 13, 2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN: Defiance, isolation, and the erosion of moral authoritySubscriber Only

September 27, 2025 14:47 IST

His defiant turn at the UN podium places him squarely in a lineage of leaders who have used the stage less as a forum for international dialogue than as a platform for domestic theatre. Israeli PM’s combative stance offered no political vision — only rhetoric and retreat from international norms

Sat, Sep 27, 2025

Best of Both Sides: A nuclear Iran is best bet for peaceSubscriber Only

July 04, 2025 06:49 IST

A credible Iranian deterrent would inject caution into Israeli planning, especially in moments of political recklessness or brinkmanship. It would make the cost of war explicit

Fri, Jul 04, 2025

Regime change in Iran is easier said than doneSubscriber Only

June 24, 2025 11:37 IST

Change cannot be delivered from the skies, nor imposed through external pressure alone. It must be nurtured from within, supported by sustained diplomatic engagement, and informed by humility about the limits of outside influence

Wed, Jan 14, 2026