As a writer, editor, and researcher, I am deeply passionate about U.S. foreign policy, the Middle East, Iran, and human rights advocacy. I am currently a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy. I also write a substack newsletter called Dissident Foreign Policy.

You can contact me at stoossi [at] internationalpolicy [dot] org.

My work sits at the intersection of policy research, human rights advocacy, and public engagement. I have extensive experience producing research and analysis on U.S.–Iran relations, U.S. policy toward the Middle East, nuclear policy, and the societal impacts of sanctions, repression, and conflict. A core part of my work focuses on documenting and analyzing human rights abuses in Iran, including state violence, digital repression, internet shutdowns, surveillance, and the targeting of civil society, labor activists, women, and minorities. Alongside writing and research, I have led and contributed to sustained advocacy efforts aimed at advancing diplomacy and centering human rights in U.S. and European policy toward Iran, including work supporting the restoration of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and highlighting the humanitarian consequences of economic pressure and information control on civilian populations.

My articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, USA Today, and other outlets. My work earned recognition in Foreign Policy’s “top five reads of the year on Iran” in 2020 and Al Jazeera English’s “seven opinion pieces you should read” on the 2020 US presidential election. Additionally, my writing appeared in Foreign Policy’s “5 top reads” of 2022 for an article on Iran’s “Revolutionary Year.” In 2024, I received the Middle East Policy Council’s 40 Under 40 Award, which recognizes the breadth of cultural, economic, and political relationships between the US and countries of the Middle East. I have also been featured or quoted by BBC World News, the Associated Press, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, the Guardian, Vox, BBC Persian, and more. I hold a Master’s degree in International Relations from American University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

This personal website is a collection of my writings and press and speaking appearances. You can also contact me here through email and Twitter.