International Institute for Strategic Studies

International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a global think tank specialising in defence, security, and strategic policy. Founded in 1958, it has become a key reference source for governments, militaries, and analysts focusing on global strategy (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-a).

Overview

The IISS produces several high-profile publications and hosts major annual security dialogues that attract global political and military leaders (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-d).

Identification and Metadata

Official name: International Institute for Strategic Studies Acronym: IISS Founded: 1958 by Michael Howard, Denis Healey, and Alastair Buchan (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-a). Status: UK-registered charity and private company limited by guarantee HQ: Arundel House, 6 Temple Place, London Offices: Washington, D.C.; Singapore; Manama; Berlin (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-a). Staff size: Estimated 100–250 (Crunchbase, 2024). Budget: £25.03 million income for 2023 (International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2023).

Governance

The Board of Trustees includes Bill Emmott (Chair), Caroline Atkinson, Hakeem Belo-Osagie, John Brennan, and Florence Parly (International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2023).

Mission, Vision and Organisational Structure

The IISS states its mission is to provide “accurate, objective information on international strategic issues” and claims independence from governments and political organisations (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-a).

Organisational Structure

The IISS is structured into divisions including:

• Defence and Military Analysis
• Geo-economics and Strategy
• Regional Security (Middle East, Asia, Europe, Americas)
• Conflict and Security
• Advisory and Consulting Services

Funding

Funding sources include governments, corporations, philanthropic foundations, and membership fees (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-c).

Major donors include defence corporations such as BAE Systems, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon (“International Institute for Strategic Studies,” n.d.).

Thematic and Methodological Profile

The IISS focuses on defence policy, military capabilities, conflict dynamics, and geopolitical change (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-b).

Research on Muslim-majority regions includes:

• Middle East geopolitics
• political Islam and militancy
• Gulf defence spending
• Türkiye’s defence industrialisation

Methods include policy analysis, open-source intelligence, case studies, interviews, and scenario forecasting (International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2022).

Publications and Outputs (Evidence Log)

Representative Outputs on Islam / Muslim Affairs

1. The Defence Policy and Economics of the Middle East and North Africa (2022)

Focus: defence spending and security dynamics in MENA (IISS, 2022).

1. Adapting Security: Türkiye’s Foreign Policy and Defence Industrialisation (2024)

Examines Türkiye's industrial and geopolitical transformation (IISS, 2024a).

1. From Client to Competitor: The Rise of Türkiye’s Defence Industry (2024)

Analyses Türkiye’s rise as a defence exporter (IISS, 2024b).

1. Turbulence in the Eastern Mediterranean

Focuses on regional conflict dynamics (IISS, n.d.).

1. Tactics before Strategy: Understanding Today’s Middle East (2018)

Argues tactical approaches dominate strategic thinking (IISS, 2018).

Most outputs are public; underlying data are generally not disclosed.

Policy Impact

IISS hosts the Shangri-La Dialogue and Manama Dialogue, used by defence ministers and military chiefs globally (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-d).

Its Military Balance is cited by defence ministries, NATO, and parliaments (International Institute for Strategic Studies, n.d.-b).

The 2024 Manama Dialogue featured direct policy references to IISS analysis (IISS, 2024c).

Stakeholder Engagement and Ethics

Engagement with Muslim communities is limited; the institute primarily interacts with state elites. Most research is desk-based, reducing the need for fieldwork ethics protocols.

Funding and Conflict of Interest

Reliance on defence-industry donors may pose conflicts of interest when analysing arms procurement (Egeland & Tarqi, 2022).

Transparency has historically been rated low by Transparify (“International Institute for Strategic Studies,” n.d.).

Editorial Independence

Board members include former defence and intelligence officials, raising questions about independence (IISS, 2023).

Academic Critique

Epistemic Rigour

Limited methodological transparency affects replicability (Egeland & Tarqi, 2022).

Normative Framing

Coverage often emphasises security risks in Muslim regions.

Bias and Positionality

Funding patterns and elite networks may influence analytical framing.

Policy Relevance vs Rigor

Policy timeliness often outweighs academic depth.

Ethical Issues

Minimal engagement with vulnerable groups; focus on elite actors.

Contributions

Strong in defence analysis, less developed in social-scientific study of Muslim societies.

Controversies

Criticisms include:

• opaque donor disclosure
• defence-industry influence
• insufficient methodological transparency

IISS has responded by publishing annual accounts (IISS, 2023).

Comparative Positioning

Compared with peers:

• Chatham House – more transparent, broader thematic scope
• Carnegie Endowment – more academically rigorous, deeper regional research
• CSIS – similar policy orientation, more transparent donor reporting

IISS excels in military-technical analysis.

Recommendations

For Researchers

• Promote methodological transparency
• Increase engagement with Muslim civil society
• Use interdisciplinary approaches

For Policymakers

• Cross-validate IISS findings
• Require conflict-of-interest disclosures
• Encourage open-data practices