The Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies will hold its 2022 annual conference, titled “Iran: The Raisi Presidency One Year On,”  in August 2022.

Summer 2022 marks the first anniversary of Ebrahim Raisi’s inauguration as the eighth president of the Islamic Republic. The conference will cover the following topics:

- Iranian foreign policy, especially Iran’s relations with the great powers; Iran and the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); Iran and non-state actors; nuclear negotiations and the JCPOA; and Iran in the Caucasus;

- Domestic politics, including the role of the various political institutions; the legitimacy of the system; treatment of activists; media freedoms, the future of the Velayat-e Faqih; the religious establishment; labor issues and activism; protests; cyber activism and restrictions;

- The Iranian economy, with a focus on the impact of sanctions and the Iranian economy; cryptocurrency; workforce and employment; income inequality; industrial manufacturing and production; agricultural production;

- Public policyin Iran, including the state’s approach to COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare, demographic shifts and developments, refugees, climate change and environmental challenges, and cyberspace.