New York Times April 8, 2025
This tactic of negotiation under threat being used by the Trump administration is not a substitute for a serious policy on Iran.
Suzanne Maloney is the vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, where her research focuses on Iran and Persian Gulf energy. Prior to being named vice president and director, she served as the deputy director of Foreign Policy for five years. At Brookings, she is a leading voice on U.S. policy toward Iran and the broader Middle East, testifying before Congress, briefing policymakers, and engaging with government, non-profit organizations and corporations. Maloney also serves on the External Research Council for the National Intelligence Council and is a frequent commentator in national and international media.
Maloney has advised both Democratic and Republican administrations on Iran policy, including as an external advisor to senior State Department officials during the Obama administration and as a member of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s Policy Planning staff. Earlier in her career, she served as Middle East advisor for ExxonMobil Corporation, where she was responsible for government relations related to all corporate activities in the region.
She has authored or edited three books on Iran: “The Iranian Revolution at 40” (Brookings Institution Press, 2020), “Iran’s Political Economy since the Revolution” (Cambridge University Press, 2015), and “Iran’s Long Reach” (United States Institute of Peace, 2008). Maloney has also published numerous book chapters and articles in a variety of academic and policy journals as well as news media such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs. In 2004, she directed and authored the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on US policy toward Iran, chaired by former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Maloney received a doctoral degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and studied in Tehran as part of the first academic exchanges between the United States and Iran since the 1979 revolution.
Affiliations:
- National Intelligence Council, External Research Council, member
-
Past Positions
- Policy Planning Staff Member, U.S. Department of State (2005-2007)
- Project Director, Task Force on U.S.-Iran Relations, Council on Foreign Relations (2003-2004)
- Middle East Advisor, ExxonMobil Corporation (2001-2004)
- Olin Fellow, The Brookings Institution (2000-2001)
- Brookings Research Fellow, The Brookings Institution (1998-1999)
-
Education
- Ph.D., The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, 2000
- B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1990
Mentions and Appearances
New York Times December 11, 2024
I think it is probably true that U.S. policy contributed to the fall of Assad, in that the U.S. has helped weaken Iran’s regional reach, and kept Russia from maintaining the tempo of..."
New York Times November 27, 2024
Suzanne Maloney discusses the state of U.S. foreign policy with the New York Times during the period of time between the presidential election and the inauguration.
New York Times September 26, 2024
What will voters take away from Ukraine President Zelensky’s meetings with Vice President Harris and former President Trump? Suzanne Maloney weighs in with The New York Times.
PBS Newshour July 6, 2024
Suzanne Maloney joined PBS Newshour to discuss Iran’s recent election and what it means for the country electing its first reformist president Masoud Pezeshkian.
NPR April 21, 2024
On NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Suzanne Maloney breaks down the long history between Israel and Iran.
New York Times April 2, 2024
[Yet Iran still sees Gaza as] a victory for them, because it isolates Israel and puts it on the defensive in the region and the world.
Financial Times January 24, 2024
I think what they’ve [China] calculated . . . is that this is a crisis that’s bogging the US and its partners down and it has not had a significant impact on Chinese shipping.”
Reuters January 19, 2024
The hope is to force the United States to pull back from its posture in the region, both its direct and ongoing support to Israel’s war in Gaza, but also, of course, the long standing..."
New York Times January 7, 2024
Iran is enriching because they can…Their goal has always been to wait out pressure and give themselves the option of a weapons program.”
Select experts
Select program
Select topics
Select regions
Filter by
Language
Date