Garrett Nada's Blog

News Digest: Week of December 13

December 13 Regional: Iran condemned Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s landmark visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that such moves would strengthen Israel’s “destructive and seditious presence” in the Middle East. Bennett met with…

Polls: American Views on Iran, Nuclear Deal

Three public opinion polls probed American attitudes on Iran – both as a threat and in diplomatic efforts.  •    The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute found that 46 percent of Americans want the Biden administration to be “more aggressive” toward Iran.  •    The Chicago Council on…

The Elders Call for Compromises in JCPOA Talks

On November 24, the independent group of global leaders called The Elders urged Iran and the world’s six major powers to “show courageous leadership and a willingness to compromise” in talks on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. The following is the full text of the press release.   The Elders call…

Profiles: Iran’s New Nuclear Team

The Raisi government’s two top officials on nuclear issues reflected Iran’s increasingly assertive stance on both diplomacy with the outworld and developing capabilities at home. Both are known as hardliners. Both have been deeply critical of the United States. Ebrahim Raisi and Mohammad Eslami at…

Iran: 42 Years After U.S. Embassy Takeover

Demonstrators burn an American flag in TehranOn November 4, thousands of Iranians chanted “Death to America” outside the former U.S. embassy in Tehran on the anniversary of the embassy’s seizure in 1979. Iran held more than 800 rallies where demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags. Many…

U.S. Blames Iran for Strike on Base in Syria

On October 20, the U.S. base at al Tanf in southern Syria was hit by drones and rockets in a “deliberate and coordinated attack,” Central Command said. Iran appeared to be responsible for the attack, which included up to five drones carrying explosives, U.S. officials told the Associated Press. The…

Poll: Iranians on COVID-19

Eighteen months after the COVID-19 outbreak, Iranians were significantly more concerned about the government’s response to the pandemic. Some 42 percent of Iranians, up from 25 percent a year earlier, said that Iran’s response has been less effective than the actions by similar countries, according…

Robert Malley on State of Nuclear Diplomacy

On October 13, Robert Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, said that the United States and its allies were considering alternative ways to constrain Tehran’s nuclear should diplomacy fail. “Every day they [Iranians] are not coming back to the table … is telling us that this is a team that may…

How the World Aids Iran on COVID-19

Between early February and mid-October 2021, the international community provided Iran with 92.9 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. China, Iran’s top trading partner, provided the largest amount, about 90 percent of the doses imported by Iran. Iran gained access to foreign vaccines mostly through…

Khamenei on U.S. and Foreign Intervention

In a wide-ranging speech, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the United States for interfering in its neighboring regions, notably Afghanistan. The Americans “stayed in that country for 20 years killing people, committing crimes, occupying, promoting addictive drugs, and destroying the…