Understanding Iran requires moving beyond conventional analytical frameworks, which have too often led to strategic misreadings of the country’s complex system. In this in-depth analysis published in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, Iranian-French author and filmmaker Raghu Kondori offers a powerful metaphor: that of an “onion state,” made up of successive layers of power, in which visible institutions represent only one part of a far deeper architecture.
Iran: The Onion State
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May 2026
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Iran: The Onion State
Understanding Iran requires moving beyond conventional analytical frameworks, which have too often led to strategic misreadings of the country’s complex system. In this in-depth analysis published in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, Iranian-French author and filmmaker Raghu Kondori offers a powerful metaphor: that of an “onion state,” made up of successive layers of power, in which […]
Are we witnessing a JCPOA redux?
The greatest danger of the emerging deal is that it may throw the regime a political and economic lifeline at the very moment when it is most vulnerable The justification for the 40-days of war with Iran, in a large part, turns on the question of whether or not it will achieve a better result […]
How America Can Help Rescue Ukrainian Children
The abduction of Ukrainian children has become one of the most horrific aspects of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Both Congress and the administration have unequivocally condemned this crime and are working to bring the 20,000 stolen children home. Yet the U.S. Treasury Department’s most recent easing of sanctions on Russian oil may undermine the good […]
