On Sunday, January 1st, 2012, the Ezri Center for Iran & Persian Gulf Studies hosted a delegation from the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). The delegation consisted of employees from various branches of the US administration, and it was headed by Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, Vice-President for Research at the FDD. Dr Soli Shahvar, Director of the Ezri Center, provided a panoramic view of the strategic position and policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the region and beyond, and after his presentation a Q & A session on the subject was ensued