Robin Wright

Distinguished Scholar

Robin Wright is a journalist, author and foreign policy analyst. She is a joint fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson International Center. Her "Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic world" won the 2012 Overseas Press Club award for best book on international affairs. Her other books include "The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy" and “The Islamists are Coming: Who They Really Are.”

Wright has reported from more than 140 countries on six continents for The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The Sunday Times, and CBS News. She won the National Magazine Award for The New Yorker. She has also written for The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, Foreign Affairs and others. She most recently covered U.S. foreign policy for The Washington Post.

Wright has also been a fellow at the Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Yale, Duke, Stanford, Dartmouth and the University of California. She won the U.N. Correspondents Association Gold Medal for coverage of foreign affairs, the Overseas Press Club Award for "best reporting in any medium requiring exceptional courage and initia¬tive," and the National Press Club Award for best diplomatic reporting. The American Academy of Diplomacy selected her as the journalist of the year in 2004. She is also the recipient of a John D. and Catherine T. Foundation grant.

Publications & Tools

February 2013 | Olive Branch Post by Viola Gienger

The U.S. and five other world powers are going into the fourth round of negotiations with Iran this week. Get the latest analysis related to the issue at USIP’s Iran Primer.

Countries: Iran | Issue Areas: Negotiation and Diplomacy
December 2012 | Olive Branch Post by Viola Gienger

Two years ago this week, Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest corruption and fraud in his government and set off popular revolts across North Africa and the Middle East. Check out a photo of the marble-and-stone cart that pays tribute to him and his fellow revolutionaries, and read about what’s likely in store for the region in 2013.

December 2012 | Peace Brief by Robin Wright and Garrett Nada

A new peace brief by Robin Wright and Garrett Nada provides an overview of four “Arab Spring” uprisings and a look ahead to the challenges of 2013.

July 2012 | Olive Branch Post by Gordon Lubold

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s brother-in-law and his defense minister were killed Wednesday in a suicide bomb attack during a meeting of a “crisis group of senior ministers” in Damascus, according to media reports, the first incidence in which such high-ranking regime officials were killed.

Countries: Syria
Robin Wright
April 2012

On April 25, Robin Wright, noted author, journalist, and joint USIP-Woodrow Wilson Center fellow, was recognized by the Overseas Press Club (OPC) for her recent book Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Middle East. Wright received the OPC’s Cornelius Ryan Award, which recognizes the best non-fiction book on international affairs. 

April 2012 | Book by Robin Wright

The Islamists Are Coming is the first book to survey the rise of Islamist groups in the wake of the Arab Spring. In this book, Robin Wright offers an overview and 10 experts identify Islamists in Algeria, Egypt (two), Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Syria, and Tunisia. Each chapter is designed to help both a general audience and specialists.

May 2011 | News Feature by Gordon Lubold

USIP experts provide analysis on the departure of Middle East Envoy George Mitchell.

March 2011

USIP experts respond to President Obama's speech on U.S. military intervention in Libya.

Countries: Africa, Libya
February 2011 | News Feature by Robin Wright

Robin Wright looks at Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation means for the region.

Countries: Egypt | Issue Areas: Political Reform
February 2011 | News Feature by Tara Sonenshine

The U.S. Institute of Peace continues to follow the developments in Egypt and the Middle East.  Read about USIP's work on Christian-Muslim relations in the Middle East, work on national security issues, democratization, and more.

February 2011

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigned on Feb. 11 after weeks of peaceful protests. USIP takes a comprehensive look at the situation and its implications.

December 2010 | On the Issues by Robin Wright

The United States enters another year without diplomatic relations with Iran. Around the world nations worry about the potential of Iran to develop its nuclear program. Can a strategy of engagement with Iran yield results? Can the sanctions effort prevail? Or is the military option still on the table. Robin Wright, USIP-Wilson Center Scholar looks at the issues.

December 2010 | News Feature by Cheryl Saferstein

After 30 years of estrangement, the Obama administration is now engaged with Iran in hopes of a deal to ensure Iran’s nuclear energy program is not subverted to make nuclear weapons. On December 1, 2010, Iran experts explored important trends inside Iran and in its dealings with the outside world at the U.S. Institute of Peace’s launch of “The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy.”

December 2010 | News Feature by Tara Sonenshine

Ambassador Dennis Ross, special assistant to the President and senior director for the Central Region including the Middle East, the Gulf, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia, addressed USIP on the day it rolled out "The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy," edited by USIP-Woodrow Wilson Center Fellow Robin Wright.  The speech took place just a week before multilateral talks with Iran begin.

Iranian President Ahmedinejad tours nuclear facility. (Photo: NY Times)
June 2010 | On the Issues by Dan Brumberg, George Lopez and Robin Wright

The United Nations Security Council on June 9 voted to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran, targeting conventional arms and the finances of 40 Iranian companies. The U.N. Security Council decision was not unanimous as two of the 15 nations on the council -- Brazil and Turkey – voted against the measure. Lebanon abstained. In an update to a May 20 “On the Issues,” USIP experts Robin Wright, Dan Brumberg and George Lopez provide different views on the U.N. vote and whether these sanctions can be effective.

Countries: Iran | Issue Areas: Political Reform
December 2009 | Congressional Testimony by Robin Wright

On December 15, 2009, senior fellow Robin Wright testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs on the effectiveness of sanctions against Iran.

Countries: Iran
November 2009 | On the Issues by Robin Wright

On Wednesday, Iran will hold a parade and demonstration to mark the 30th anniversary of the U.S. embassy seizure. The opposition is now mobilizing followers to turn the commemoration into a mass protest. Robin Wright, a Jennings Randolph fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and author of four books on Iran, covered the revolution and the hostage drama.

Countries: Iran

Events

Event Page Photo
October 31, 2012

Please note that the conference has been cancelled.

For this third annual conference on preventing violent conflict, USIP will bring together experts and policymakers to discuss challenges and opportunities for conflict prevention around the world. The goals of this event are to spotlight the importance of conflict prevention, address specific challenges facing prevention efforts, and identify priority areas for USIP's future work on conflict prevention. 

July 18, 2011

For two years, USIP Senior Fellow Robin Wright tracked the tectonic political shifts that culminated in the uprisings across the Middle East. USIP is pleased to host an in-depth discussion with leading Middle East analyst Robin Wright on the publication of her new book, "Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic World."

Webcast: This event will be webcast live beginning at 10:00am EST on July 18, 2011 at www.usip.org/webcast.

December 1, 2010

USIP launched “The Iran Primer: Power, Politics and U.S. Policy,” featured Ambassador Dennis Ross, Special Assistant to the President, followed by top experts discussing the internal and external crises facing Iran. "The Iran Primer," a joint product of the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, brings together 50 seasoned scholars on Iran from some twenty foreign policy think tanks, eight universities, and six U.S. administrations.

March 2, 2010

A distinguished panel of experts discussed the current movements in Iran today, many of which are led by women, and also reflected upon the past three decades of the shifting status of women in Iran.

Countries: Iran | Issue Areas: Gender and Peacebuilding
Image via photobucket.com.  Women protest in Iran in green hijab.
February 1, 2010

USIP invited an expert panel to participate in a frank discussion of the conflict between the Iranian regime and the opposition and its implications for the Obama administration.