The Tennessee World Affairs Council is pleased to offer this important global affairs awareness program produced by the International Relations Council, Kansas City, a sister organization in the network of World Affairs Councils of America.

We extend special thanks to friends at IRC KC for including TNWAC in this world-class presentation. 

Iran From the Inside Out

• Robin Wright, USIP – Wilson Center
• Hossein Mousavian, Princeton University
• Chris Hoch, ODNI
• Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, Emirates Policy Center
• Bilal Saab, Middle East Institute
• Martin Indyk, Council of Foreign Relations
• Jon Alterman, CSIS
• Lucille Greer, Wilson Center
• Mark Katz, George Mason
• Fathollah-Nejad, Brookings Institute
• Alex Vatanka, Middle East Initiative
• Susan Maloney, Council of Foreign Relations
• Vali Nasr, Johns Hopkins SAIS
• Barbara Slavin, Atlantic Council

“Red teaming” is an analytic tool born from past failures to challenge assumptions, ignore disconfirming evidence, and disregard alternative perspectives. The resultant red team framework stress-tests strategies and mitigates group think by examining problem sets from myriad perspectives.

The goal of Red Teaming Iran: From the Inside Out is to “stress-test” participants’ thinking of the Iranian security challenge by examining it from the eyes of myriad perspectives: the Iranian perspective, the Middle East perspective, the P5+1 perspective, and finally – how these perspective might inform the US perspective. ​

Format: Virtual

9-9:15 a.m. CT: Introduction: Chris Hoch, National Intelligence Officer for Iran, ODNI

9:15-10:15 a.m. CT: Keynote Discussion: The Iranian perspective

• How Does Iran View Itself? (15 minutes) Robin Wright, USIP – Wilson Center
• How Does Iran View Its Neighbors? (15 minutes) Hossein Mousavian, Princeton University
• Moderated Q&A (30 minutes) Chris Hoch, ODNI

10:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. CT: Panel 1: Middle East perspective: GCC & Israel

• How Do the GCC View Iran? Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, Emirates Policy Center
• How Do the GCC View Iran – An Alternative View? Bilal Saab, Middle East Institute
• The Israeli Variable. Martin Indyk, Council of Foreign Relations
• Moderated Q&A Jon Alterman, Jon Alterman, CSIS

11:45-12:30 p.m. CT: Lunch break: Student Undergraduate Research presentation

12:30-2 p.m. CT: P5+1 Perspective: China, Russia & EU members

• China & Iran. Lucille Greer, Wilson Center
• Russian & Iran. Mark Katz, George Mason
• The EU & Iran. Fathollah-Nejad, Brookings Institute
• Moderated Q&A – Alex Vatanka, Middle East Initiative

2-3 p.m. CT: Keynote Discussion: Implications to US Strategy & Policy

• Implications to the Biden Administration – A Hawkish Perspective, Susan Maloney, Council of Foreign Relations
• Implications to the Biden Administration – an Alternative Perspective, Vali Nasr, Johns Hopkins SAIS
• Moderated Q&A (30 minutes). Barbara Slavin, Atlantic Council

THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS IN GLOBAL AFFAIRS AWARENESS AND EDUCATION OUTREACH

THE MISSION of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Tennessee World Affairs Council is to promote international awareness, understanding and connections to enhance the region’s global stature and to prepare Tennesseans to thrive in our increasingly complex and connected world.

THE VISION of  the Tennessee World Affairs Council is a well-informed community that thinks critically about the world and the impact of global events.