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I am an international and foreign policy lawyer whose work at PAIAB grows from a conviction that how we imagine the future shapes the choices we make today. When societies inherit ready-made narratives about what is possible, or submit to external pressures about what they should become, they end up repeating old patterns and closing off alternatives. My focus is on helping to open that space. By questioning defaults and surfacing overlooked assumptions, I work to create room for new directions that can be pursued with confidence and purpose.
As Vice-President for Advocacy and Legal Strategy, I lead efforts with colleagues and partners to examine the legal, social and cultural frames that predetermine outcomes. This means going beyond analysis to develop practical advocacy and policy strategies that expand the scope for cooperation, security and human development. My approach treats international law not as a static code but as a living arena of practice and meaning that operates well beyond courtrooms and formal institutions, touching the daily realities of states and people.
I am fluent in English, Farsi and French. My professional formation spans both Iranian and international settings and includes advanced legal studies in Canada and Switzerland that gave me the ability to work across different legal cultures and traditions. Over the course of more than two decades, I have advised policymakers and think tanks on complex questions of international law and diplomacy, from drafting legal opinions and policy papers to contributing to high-level discussions on nuclear and security issues.
I also share analysis on Iran-related and broader international issues through articles and interviews in respected outlets such as The New York Times, Harvard International Review, Al-Monitor, The Hill, Middle East Eye, The National Interest, OpenDemocracy, Euronews, Antiwar, Foreign Policy and the Christian Science Monitor. Beyond these, my work is frequently featured by regional platforms in Persian, Arabic and Turkish media across the Middle East. My commentary on international affairs has also appeared in Libération, The Guardian and Al-Jazeera, among others. In addition, I regularly offer analysis and engage with audiences on X (formerly Twitter) at @RezaNasri1, where I discuss international law and Iranian affaris.
The following list includes a selection of my published articles and interviews in both English and Farsi. It does not represent my complete body of work, but offers an overview of writings that reflect my engagement with international law, diplomacy, and political analysis. These pieces were written across different platforms and periods, addressing diverse issues from nuclear negotiations and global governance to questions of legality, security, and regional politics.
English Publications
• Nasri, Reza. “Article 51: Israel’s False Claim.” openDemocracy, 17 Feb. 2009. Legal analysis critiquing Israel’s invocation of Article 51 self-defense for Gaza operations, arguing it fails necessity and proportionality tests.
• Nasri, Reza. “Winning in International Affairs in the 21st Century Means…” Global Brief, 13 Oct. 2010. Essay on post-Westphalian diplomacy and shifting global power structures.
• Nasri, Reza. “Threats and Sanctions: The Achilles’ Heel of a Potential Atom Accord.” PBS Frontline: Tehran Bureau, 4 June 2012. Commentary on how U.S. threats and sanctions undermine nuclear diplomacy with Iran.
• Nasri, Reza. “U.S., Israeli Threats of Force Against Iran Are Illegal and Harm Chances for a Deal.” Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2013. Op-ed on the illegality of military threats under international law and their impact on negotiations.
• Nasri, Reza. “To Nudge Iran Talks, New UN Resolution Needed.” Christian Science Monitor, 25 Apr. 2013. Proposal for a Security Council resolution to support P5+1–Iran diplomacy.
• Nasri, Reza. “Iran Doesn’t Trust International Community.” Foreign Policy in Focus, 21 Apr. 2014. Interview on Iran’s historical mistrust of the UN, IAEA, and Western media in nuclear and human rights contexts.
• Nasri, Reza. “Leave Ballistic Missiles Out of the Iran Deal.” The National Interest, 4 June 2014. Argument to exclude missile programs from nuclear talks on legal and strategic grounds.
• Nasri, Reza. “US Should Drop Its ‘State of Emergency’ Regarding Iran.” Al-Monitor, 12 Nov. 2014. Critique of U.S. executive orders labeling Iran a threat and their effect on diplomacy.
• Nasri, Reza. “Hawks Misread the Nuclear Talk ‘Extension’.” Harvard International Review, 12 Dec. 2014. Rebuttal to U.S. hawks’ interpretation of P5+1–Iran negotiation extensions.
• Nasri, Reza. “Some Questions for Obama about Snap Back Sanctions.” The Hill, 29 Apr. 2015. Legal and practical questions about the JCPOA snapback mechanism.
• Nasri, Reza. “The Legal Obstacle before Defeating ISIS.” The Hill, 17 June 2015. Analysis of legal barriers to U.S.–Iran cooperation against ISIS.
• Nasri, Reza. “JCPOA Is a ‘Multilateral’ Agreement That EU Must Protect Against Proposed Visa Waiver Changes.” The Hill, 18 Dec. 2015. Call for EU defense of JCPOA against U.S. visa waiver discrimination.
• Nasri, Reza. “Obama Needs to Protect the Iran Deal.” The New York Times, 20 June 2016. Joint op-ed urging U.S. leadership to safeguard the JCPOA.
• Nasri, Reza. “Don’t Call the Revolutionary Guard Corps Terrorists.” LobeLog, 16 Feb. 2017. Critique of IRGC terrorist designation proposals and their legal and humanitarian risks.
• Nasri, Reza. “Europe’s Likely Response to Trump’s Move Against Iran Nuclear Deal.” LobeLog, 15 Sept. 2017. Forecast of European policy options post-U.S. JCPOA withdrawal.
• Nasri, Reza. “Iran: An Indispensable Ally in the War on Terrorism.” *LobeLog*, 7 May 2019. Co-authored piece on Iran’s counterterrorism role and regional security value.
• Nasri, Reza. “Europe Should Recall Its Commitment to the Iran Deal Instead of Enabling US Hawks.” Euronews, 14 June 2019. Op-ed urging EU independence in upholding JCPOA commitments.
• Nasri, Reza. “Iran Is Not on the Verge of Collapse.” The Hill, 27 Jan. 2025. Rebuttal to Western narratives of imminent Iranian regime failure.
• Nasri, Reza. “The Legality and Legitimacy of Europe’s Threatened Snapback Against Iran Under Resolution 2231.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 25 Feb. 2025. Legal critique of E3 snapback invocation under UNSC Resolution 2231.
• Nasri, Reza. “Unilateral Snapback — Collective Failure: The Security Council at a Crossroads.” Institute for Political and International Studies, 18 Mar. 2025. Analysis of Western misuse of JCPOA snapback and UNSC implications.
• Nasri, Reza. “Trump Must Not Repeat Bush’s Iraq Mistakes in Iran.” The Hill, 3 May 2025. Warning against interventionist U.S. policy toward Iran.
• Nasri, Reza. “Europe’s Diminished Normative Power amid the Gaza Conflict.” Tehran Dialogue Forum, 24 May 2025. Analysis of how Europe’s moral authority and self-proclaimed “normative power” have eroded due to its failure to respond consistently to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
• Nasri, Reza. “The Legal Implications of Complicity in Genocide.” Genocide in Gaza: Voices of Global Conscience (ed. by Richard Falk and Ahmet Davutoğlu, Clarity Press), 2025. Joint chapter with Javad Zarif on international legal accountability for complicity in genocide.
• Nasri, Reza. “Israel Is Killing Scientists and Their Families. The World Is Looking Away.” Tehran Times, 2 July 2025. Investigation into targeted assassinations of Iranian scientists and global silence.
• Nasri, Reza. “The E3’s Abuse of Rights Under the JCPOA: A Legal and Normative Appraisal.” Avash News, 23 July 2025. Legal argument that E3 snapback constitutes abuse of rights under international law.
Farsi Publications (English Titles)
• Nasri, Reza. “Don’t Threaten Iran.” Iranian Diplomacy, 11 Mar. 2013. Farsi translation and commentary on the illegality of threats against Iran.
• Nasri, Reza. “Explaining the Major Security Achievements of Diplomats.” Government of Iran Information Base, 2 Feb. 2017. Overview of JCPOA security gains for Iran’s nuclear program.
• Nasri, Reza. “Trump Is Prone to Global Isolation.” Khabar Online, 16 Sept. 2017. Interview on U.S. JCPOA policy and risk of international isolation.
• Nasri, Reza. “Why Are We Self-Sabotaging?” Entekhab, 2 Dec. 2020. Critique of Iranian Parliament’s bill to suspend JCPOA commitments.
• Nasri, Reza. “In the JCPOA, We Have No ‘Members,’ Only ‘Participants’.” Entekhab, 16 Jan. 2021. Legal clarification of JCPOA participant status and enforcement.
• Nasri, Reza. “Reza Nasri’s Analysis of the JCPOA Process.” Ensaf News, 27 June 2022. Interview on JCPOA revival and sanction relief proposals.
• Nasri, Reza. “The Hague Summons Parties to Negotiate Compensation Amount.” Asr-e Iran, 31 Mar. 2023. Analysis of ICJ invitation for U.S.–Iran damages talks.
• Nasri, Reza. “Iran, Neighbors’ Normalization Prevents Israel’s Intrigues: Expert.” *Iranian Labour News Agency*, 29 Mar. 2023. Interview on Iran–Saudi deal as counter to Israeli regional schemes.
• Nasri, Reza. “The Third Formula for Iran-US Agreement from Reza Nasri’s Perspective.” Eghtesad News, 4 Sept. 2023. Interview on phased de-escalation and post-election formalization.
• Nasri, Reza. “Note by Reza Nasri on the Recent General Assembly Resolution and Some Historical Examples.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 28 Oct. 2023. Op-ed on symbolic weight of UNGA Gaza ceasefire resolution.
• Nasri, Reza. “‘Dennis Ross,’ Israel’s ‘Prominent Friend’.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 19 Jan. 2025. Critique of Dennis Ross’s claim of 90% destruction of Iran’s missile capacity.
• Nasri, Reza. “Three Wrong Perceptions of America about Iran.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 29 Jan. 2025. Interview on U.S. misconceptions of Iran’s regime, nuclear intent, and proxies.
• Nasri, Reza. “Donald Trump Must Secure Senate Approval for Any Potential Agreement with Iran.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 30 Jan. 2025. Analysis of U.S. constitutional need for Senate ratification of Iran deals.
• Nasri, Reza. “New Agreement or Extension of Resolution 2231: Possible Options to Prevent Sanctions Return.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 31 Jan. 2025. Exploration of diplomatic paths to avoid snapback sanctions.
• Nasri, Reza. “Negotiations Without Compromising Principles.” Iran, 13 Jan. 2025. Interview advocating principled U.S. negotiations on Iran’s terms.
• Nasri, Reza. “International Law Means Nothing to the United States.” Fararu, 11 Feb. 2025. Commentary on U.S. violation of Vienna Convention Article 52 in JCPOA.
• Nasri, Reza. “All Claims of the European Troika Are Based on Legally Flawed Assumptions.” Faraz, 16 Aug. 2025. Response to E3 snapback letter, urging UN challenge.
• Nasri, Reza. “In Current Special Conditions, There Must Be Trust in the Foreign Policy Apparatus.” Islamic Republic News Agency, 5 Oct. 2025. Interview on need for public trust in Iran’s diplomacy amid JCPOA expiration.
• Nasri, Reza. “Notes on ‘Strategic Ambiguity’ in Iran’s Nuclear Program.” Jamaran News, 3 July 2025. Op-ed on strategic ambiguity as NPT-compliant deterrence.