Iran Primer's Blog
Unusual Rivalry: Iran v. U.S. Over Ice Cream
Iranians apparently take their desserts seriously. The sweet final course of any meal even spills over into foreign policy. In the latest rivalry between Iran and the United States, a Tehran ice cream company…
U.N. Stats: Life Longer and Healthier In Iran
A new U.N. report highlights Iran’s significant progress in providing citizens with a long and healthy life, access to education and a decent standard of living. Between 1980 and 2012, Iran’s life expectancy at birth increased by 22…
U.N. Stats: Iran’s Gender Gap
A new U.N. report ranked Iran 107 out of 148 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (GII), which measures reproductive health, empowerment and economic activity of women. Iran’s maternal mortality ratio and adolescent fertility…
U.N. Stats: Iran's Slow Population Growth
Iran’s low fertility rate has produced a rapidly aging population, according to a new U.N. report. The rate has declined from 2.2 births per woman in 2000 to 1.6 in 2012. This has pushed the median age of Iranians to 27.1 years in…
Kerry Presses Iraq on Iran Flights to Syria
On March 24, Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraq to inspect Iranian cargo flights for arms. Iranian flights are “helping to sustain” the Syrian regime, Kerry claimed during a previously unannounced visit to Baghdad. The…
Khamenei Open to Direct U.S. Talks
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he is not opposed to direct talks with the United States in a speech marking Nowruz, the Persian New Year. But he is “not optimistic” about prospects for success if negotiations take place…
Obama and Netanyahu Agree on Iran
President Obama, on his first visit to Israel since taking office, warned that the time left to solve the Iranian nuclear issue “is not unlimited.” He said that the international community will increase pressure on the regime until…
Kerry’s Iran Connection on Nowruz
On March 20, Secretary of State John Kerry sent “warm wishes for health and prosperity” to Iranians for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. He noted the contributions of Iranian-Americans and Iranian students in the United States. “I am…
U.S. General: Iran’s Influence Waning in Latin America
Iran is “struggling to main influence” in Latin America, General John Kelly told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 19. The region as a whole has not been receptive to Iran’s diplomatic and economic outreach. But the head…
Poll: U.S. Majority Would Consider Strike to Prevent Iran Nuke
About 64 percent of surveyed Americans said it is more important to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons ― even if it means taking military action ― according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the…