Deepika Saraswat

Iran’s Strategic Recalibration Amid Geopolitical Shifts in West Asia

Faced with geostrategic setbacks, a militarily assertive Israel and the incoming Trump presidency, Iran has prioritised diplomacy with both regional countries and the West.

Published: December 27, 2024
Issue Brief

Tehran’s choices after Israeli strikes in Beirut

Associate fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Deepika Saraswat’s article ‘Tehran’s choices after Israeli strikes in Beirut' has been published in Hindustan Times on 11 October, 2024.

A potentially extended round of tit-for-tat strikes between Iran and Israel is rife with unpredictable consequences for an already destabilised region, says Dr Saraswat.

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Published: 15 October, 2024

Contestation over Corridors in the South Caucasus

Azerbaijan, with backing from Turkey and increasingly Russia, continues to push for a transport corridor to its exclave Nakhchivan, a year after it recaptured Nagorno-Karabakh.

Published: September 26, 2024
Issue Brief

Pezeshkian’s Victory and Return to a ‘Balanced’ Foreign Policy

Masoud Pezeshkian’s victory in Iran’s snap presidential election has unexpectedly brought reformists back to the political arena.

Published: July 12, 2024
Issue Brief

In Iran, a battle between polarising political views

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Deepika Saraswat's article 'In Iran, a battle between polarising political views' was published in Hindustan Times, on 01 July 2024.

The Pezeshkian-Jalili run-off on July 5 will be a showdown between the two most polarising political visions for the country, says Dr Saraswat.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in any way reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

Published: 4 July, 2024

Hamas–Israel War and the Evolution of Iran’s ‘Resistance Geopolitics’

Published: January-February 2024
Strategic Analysis

President Raisi’s demise leaves Iran at a crossroads

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Deepika Saraswat's article 'President Raisi's demise leaves Iran at a cross roads' has been published in Hindustan Times on 21 May, 2024.

Raisi’s rise to the presidency had been systematically brought about by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as part of a generational change in Iran’s political leadership, says Dr Saraswat.

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The views expressed by the author are personal and do not in anyway reflect the views of MP-IDSA or the Government of India.

Published: 22 May, 2024

Deterrence, Escalation Management and the Iran–Israel Conflict

Iran and Israel have shown preference for a carefully controlled escalation while avoiding a conflict spiral.

Published: May 10, 2024
IDSA Comments

Iran-Israel conflict no longer a shadow war

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Deepika Saraswat’s article ‘Iran-Israel conflict no longer a shadow war' has been published in Hindustan Times on 22 April 2024.

Iran’s direct retaliation against Israel marks the end of the shadow war and the beginning of an uncertain future for the region, says Dr Saraswat.

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Published: 2 May, 2024

Iran: Part of an ‘Axis’ or a Middle Power in (Eur)Asia

Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Dr Deepika Saraswat’s article 'Iran: Part of an ‘Axis’ or a Middle Power in (Eur)Asia' was published by NatStrat Centre for Research on Strategic and Security Issues on 01 April 2024.

During the ongoing transitional phase in international and regional politics, while Iran continues to counter US influence in West Asia, in (Eur)Asia, it is behaving like a middle power utilising multilateral diplomacy, its geographical centrality and sources of ideational power to shape not only a post-Western but also a post-hegemonic geopolitical order, says Dr Saraswat.

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