Babak Rahimi
Babak Rahimi received a Ph.D. from the European University Institute, Florence, Italy. Dr. Rahimi has also studied at the University of Nottingham and London School of Economics and Political Science, UK. He was a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace from 2005-2006, where he conducted research on Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Shiite politics in post-Baathist Iraq. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the Department of Literature, Program for the Study of Religion, University of California, San Diego.
Contact Babak Rahimi
Articles by Babak Rahimi
Rivalry between Iran’s Conservative Factions May Be the Biggest Threat to the Strait of Hormuz
Velayat-e 90, the 11-day Iranian naval exercise that began on December 24, 2011 in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz, has brought Iran and the United States close to a
Special Commentary: Iranian Reaction to the Great Syrian Revolt
Executive SummaryIn response to the uprisings spreading throughout the Arab world, Iran has reacted in such a way to maximize its power and potential influence in the region. Until April,
Special Commentary: Iran and the Bahraini Uprising
The social upheavals occurring in the Middle East, triggered by the suicide of a fruit vender in Tunisia earlier this year, have been largely precipitated by a number of factors
Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran Use “Soft Power” to Pursue Objectives in Iraq
The return of Muqtada al-Sadr to Iraq after more than three years of self-imposed exile and his unexpected January 21 departure for Iran only two weeks later have provoked speculation
Special Commentary: How Iran Views the Egyptian Crisis
On the official website of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (https://khamenei.ir/), the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, an edited audio statement was posted last year addressing a Palestinian group in which
Security Implications of Muqtada al-Sadr’s Return to Iraq
Muqtada al-Sadr, the firebrand Iraqi Shi?a cleric whose militia experienced a major military defeat by the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, stated angrily in April 2008: “The occupation has
Security Implications of Shi’a Politics in Post-Election Iraq
Although the final count will not be available until the end of March, the preliminary results from Iraq’s parliamentary election show a strong victory for the State of Law list
Mystery Persists in Assassination of Iranian “Nuclear Scientist” in Tehran
The January 12 Tehran assassination by bomb blast of Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, a professor of physics at the University of Tehran, invites the prospect of new tensions over Iran’s controversial nuclear
Iranian Leaders Weigh Support for the Houthi Rebellion in Yemen
The Houthi rebellion against the Yemeni regime, which erupted in 2004 and has intensified with the unleashing of “Operation Scorched Earth” by the Yemeni forces in the northern Sa’ada governate,
The Implications of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim’s Death for Iraqi Security
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), died on August 26 at a hospital in Tehran, where he had been receiving treatment for lung cancer
The Role of the Revolutionary Guards and Basij Militia in Iran’s “Electoral Coup”
Established in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution to defend the Islamic Republic against domestic and foreign threats, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been accused of playing a
Iraq’s Muqtada al-Sadr Seeks Regional Influence with Visit to Ankara
Muqtada al-Sadr, the young Iraqi Shi’a cleric who has been studying to become an Ayatollah in the Iranian city of Qom since 2007, recently visited Turkey in a trip whose
Latest Surge of Violence in Iraq Tests al-Maliki’s Government
These are challenging times for Nuri al-Maliki. Despite the victory of his coalition, the Dawlat al-Qanun (State of Law) in the provincial elections, al-Maliki's government is facing major security threats
In the Aftermath of Iraq’s Provincial Elections, Part Two: Shi’a Militancy Takes a Blow from al-Maliki’s Mainstream
Iraqis cast their votes on January 31 in new provincial council elections whose outcome could shape Iraq's balance of power and set the tone for the upcoming general elections in
Iraq’s Shias Split over the Impending U.S.-Iraq Status-of-Forces Agreement
Major divisions have begun to emerge in the Shia political bloc following the Iraqi cabinet’s approval of a proposed security agreement between Baghdad and Washington that would authorize American forces
RUSSO-GEORGIAN WAR CREATES SECURITY DILEMMA FOR IRAN
Although the Georgian-Russian military conflict and its still uncertain aftermath may have produced no considerable change in Iran’s foreign policy, the projection of Russian power has created a new security
The Mumahidun: Muqtada Al-Sadr’s New Militia
The Mahdi Army, the Shia militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, has recently undergone a significant transformation. On August 28, al-Sadr suspended the armed operations of the Mahdi Army (al-Jazeera, August
Iran’s Missile Tests and the New Strategy of the Revolutionary Guard
Iran’s latest tests of the most advanced type of Shahab-3 (Meteor-3) medium-range ballistic missile, with a reported range of 2,000 kilometers, hint at Tehran’s readiness to fight back if Israel
Iraq’s Shia Reject Direction of U.S.-Iraqi Negotiations on Security Pact
The news of the security pact currently under negotiation by Baghdad and Washington that would allow the U.S. forces to stay in the country beyond the expiry of the UN
What Direction for the al-Mahdi Army after the Basra Offensive?
As Moqtada al-Sadr orders his Mahdi Army militia to lay down their arms in return for an exchange of prisoners and cessation of government raids against his followers, the six-day
Becoming an Ayatollah: The New Iraqi Politics of Moqtada al-Sadr
As a political and military force, Iraq’s Shiite Sadrist movement has undergone a number of radical transformations since 2003, when its leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, surprisingly emerged as a leading political
The Hakim-Sadr Pact: A New Era in Shiite Politics?
The recent "pact of honor" made by two of Iraq's most influential Shiite clerics, Moqtada al-Sadr and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim—aimed at preventing violence and helping to maintain the "Islamic and
Maliki Government Faces a Governance Crisis
Post-Baathist Iraq is undergoing a perilous phase in its short history. The Nuri al-Maliki government, which was formed in May 2006 as the first "unity government" after the fall of
The Militia Politics of Basra
Basra, the second largest and the richest city in Iraq, is at the brink of a major economic and political meltdown. Unless Baghdad succeeds in reaching a compromise over the
Second Samarra Bombing Strengthens Status of Moqtada al-Sadr
On June 13, suspected anti-Shiite Sunni attackers once again bombed the al-Askari shrine mosque in the city of Samarra, just north of Baghdad. This time, however, the two blasts leveled
Moqtada al-Sadr Stepping into the Power Vacuum
Just hours after Moqtada al-Sadr reappeared in public for the first time since the U.S. security crackdown in January to demand the withdrawal of U.S. troops in a major speech
A Shiite Storm Looms on the Horizon: Sadr and SIIC Relations
Post-Baathist Iraqi politics is undergoing a dramatic change, and the Sadrists and the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), formerly known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq
Shiite Power Struggle Unfolds in Diwaniya
Since the political bloc loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr abandoned the parliament and government ministries on April 16—in a move to demand Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki set a timetable for the
Two Types of Splinter Groups Break from Moqtada al-Sadr
The recent rise of Sadrist splinter groups is a sign of a major shakeup in the Sadrist movement, so far mainly dominated by Moqtada al-Sadr. These splinter groups represent a
The Sadr-Sistani Relationship
One of the oddest developments in the recent history of Iraq has been the growing connection between the young firebrand cleric, Moqtada al-Sadr, and the highest-ranking Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali
Moqtada al-Sadr’s New Alliance with Tehran
For the last three years, Tehran's relationship with the firebrand junior cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has undergone a significant change. During the early rise of the Sadrist phenomenon, the young cleric