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** Oct. 5, 2023
Assessing the Russia-Iran Partnership

The war in Ukraine has cast new light on the relationship between Russia and Iran. Over the last 18 months, Moscow and Tehran have demonstrated increasing resolve to cooperate on contesting U.S. influence, suppressing internal threats to their regimes, and mitigating their vulnerability to international economic sanctions and foreign economic pressure.

A new RAND paper examines the key factors driving Russian-Iranian cooperation and how the relationship might evolve. Importantly, the authors write that there is still a substantial degree of mistrust between the two countries, and it is too soon to declare the beginning of a new era for the Russian-Iranian relationship.

However, so long as Russia's and Iran's relations with the United States remain strained, both sides will continue to perceive a common interest in cooperation. That's why it may be "time to begin thinking about what closer ties between the two states might mean for U.S. operations and strategy."

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Telemedicine Is Critical to Pediatric Mental Health Care

A new RAND study shows that spending on mental health services for children and adolescents has risen by more than 25 percent since the beginning of the pandemic. Further, the use of telehealth for pediatric patients increased more than 30-fold in the months after COVID-19 hit and remained high (23 times normal) by August 2022. These findings suggest that telehealth care for mental health filled a critical need for children during the pandemic--and continues to be important to pediatric mental health care today.

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F-16s a Game Changer--but Not a Silver Bullet--for Ukraine

How will F-16s be used in Ukraine? Their first role will likely be intercepting Russian cruise missiles in Ukrainian air space, says RAND's Michael Bohnert. And as Ukraine's military gains proficiency with the aircraft, the next mission will be suppressing Russian surface-to-air missiles. But F-16s alone will not win the war, he says. The most important support to Ukraine is still artillery, medical equipment, infantry weapons, ground vehicles, and drones.

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** RAND Recommends

- RAND's Kristen Gunness was quoted in The Japan Times, providing her take on China's ability to conduct an aerial and naval blockade of Taiwan.
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- What exactly are economic sanctions? How are they used? What can they accomplish? RAND's Howard Shatz breaks it down in a brief explainer video on Instagram.
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- A new RAND report looks at vulnerabilities of industrial control systems and operational technology systems--specifically, where serious harm could be caused by an attacker using a quantum computer.
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** Events
Pardee RAND Admissions Webinar: M.Phil. Overview
October 18, 2023 (Online)
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Policy Lab: What Determines National Competitive Advantage?
Wednesday, October 25, 2023 (Online)
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