The Atlantic Council

A conversation with:

Aaron Stein
Resident Senior Fellow, Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East
Atlantic Council

Michael Elleman
Senior Fellow for Missile Defense
The International Institute for Strategic Studies

Melissa Dalton
Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, International Security Program
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Moderated by:
Bharath Gopalaswamy
Director, South Asia Center
Atlantic Council

The Atlantic Council's Future of Iran Initiative invites you to a panel discussion on Iran’s missile program, its role in Iranian defense strategy and as a source of tension in the region and beyond. While the primary threat posed by the program stems from its potential connection to Iran’s nuclear program, Iran’s neighbors and the United States are also concerned about the transfer of shorter-range rockets to Iranian-backed militant groups in Yemen and Lebanon. The Trump administration has raised the issue as a “flaw” of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and is discussing a possible side agreement with key European nations that would include missiles. Iran has rejected changes to the JCPOA and views the missile program as an essential element of its military doctrine, a means of deterrence and a tool of statecraft.

The discussion will be held February 20, 2018 from 9:00 to 10:30 am at the Atlantic Council. The event is open to press and on the record.