Independent policy institute · Paris

Iran's
Democratic Transition

DORNA is an independent research institute bridging policy analysis, international advocacy, and the study of Iran's democratic transition.

Policy Research

Data-driven analysis

International Advocacy

Global coordination

Scenario Analysis

Transition scenarios

Our Latest Analysis About DORNA

Our Principles

The core values that guide everything we do.

Independence

DORNA operates free of political allegiance. We are not a party, not a power claimant, and not a rival to existing political forces. Our sole commitment is to Iran's democratic future.

Expertise-Driven

Every analysis, recommendation, and action is grounded in rigorous research and verified intelligence. We publish only what meets the highest evidentiary standards.

Accountability

We operate with full transparency toward our stakeholders and the Iranian people. No content is released without prior assessment of its accuracy and potential consequences.

Impact Over Visibility

We deliberately maintain a low public profile. In moments of crisis, meaningful impact matters more than media presence. We inform decision-making, not headlines.

About DORNA

An Independent Institute for a Democratic Transition

Three principles govern our work. First, the strict distinction between the regime and Iranian society: pressure must target the structures of capture, not the population. Second, the primacy of Iranian political sovereignty: the transition will be written by Iranians, within a pluralist constituent process gathering every democratic current. Third, the conditionality of international support: sanctions and financial leverage carry strategic meaning only when articulated to a political perspective. Pressure, humanitarian lever and transition perspective must form a coherent triptych, calibrated in time and in targeting. We analyze and document the pathways of Iran's transition from dictatorship to democracy, with rigor, independence and accountability.

Beyond immediate strategy, DORNA serves as a long-term incubator for democratic initiatives, nurturing the expertise, institutions, and civic frameworks that will be essential for building a stable, pluralistic Iran. By bridging diaspora knowledge with on-the-ground realities, DORNA lays the groundwork for a democratic future that is both credible and sustainable.

Non-PartisanExpert-LedGlobally ConnectedFuture-Oriented

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Our Approach

Three Complementary Dimensions

Convergent pathways to a controlled, inclusive, and responsible democratic transition in Iran.

Dimension 1

Convergence of Societal Capacities

DORNA examines how Iran's societal capacities, from civil society and the administrative and executive apparatus to middle management and specialized professions, could align to play a stabilizing and transitional role in the event of a political rupture. This is analytical and anticipatory work, not operational coordination.

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Dimension 2

Mobilizing International Cooperation

DORNA works to make the path of a democratic transition legible and credible for the international community, through analysis of the institutional, technical and supervisory guarantees it would require. The aim is to help reduce the costs of transition, to inform against destructive intervention, and to document how Iran could return to the international order within a stable, responsible and multilateral framework.

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Dimension 3

Coalition Building for Democratic Governance

DORNA convenes structured dialogue across Iran's democratic political spectrum and studies the institutional frameworks, civic coalitions and governance models that could shape Iran's democratic life tomorrow. As a neutral convener, it facilitates exchange between political actors, civil society figures and technical experts, to help build the broad consensus a stable, pluralistic and accountable Iran will require, in the interest of all Iranians.

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