The International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) has released the Iran Case File for January 2025, providing both general readers and researchers with a comprehensive analysis of the latest developments pertaining to Iran. The report evaluates the Iranian situation and assesses its various conditions and interactions. It is divided into three sections: (1) Iranian internal affairs, (2) Iranian-Arab interactions and (3) Iran’s relations with regional and international powers.
With regard to developments in Iranian domestic affairs, the interior of Iran witnessed many developments during the month of January at the political, economic, military, social and ideological levels. Perhaps the most prominent of these politically is the internal reaction to Donald Trump’s return to the White House and its effects on the sanctions file. Economically, there was a continued decline in the purchasing power of Iranians and the depreciation of the Iranian currency against foreign currencies. Militarily, Iran announced that it had obtained a number of Sukhoi-35 fighter jets from Russia. Socially, school dropout rates have become a significant issue, and ideologically, the question of Mojtaba Khamenei’s succession to his father was raised in the Western press.
As for Iranian interactions in the Arab and regional environments, these were marked by important developments and events throughout January. At the level of Iranian-Iraqi interactions, the report discusses both official and unofficial Iraqi positions towards the US-Israeli demand to restrict arms to the Iraqi state. As for Iran-Syria relations, Iran faces a complex political situation in Syria following the appointment of Ahmed al-Sharaa as transitional president and his administration’s desire to marginalize any rapprochement with Iran.
Regarding Iranian interactions with international powers, Iran-US relations entered a new phase with Trump’s return to the White House. Additionally, Iran-Russia relations, following the conclusion of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement between Moscow and Tehran, covered various areas of political, military and economic cooperation.
