Iran Primer's Blog
Iran and Syria Condemn U.S. Aid to Rebels
On March 2, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and his Syrian counterpart, Walid Mouallem, condemned the recent U.S. move to provide non-lethal aid to rebels for the first time. “Double standards were being applied by certain…
Former Officials Debate Iran-U.S. Relations
On February 23, former senior officials debated prospects for a real deal on the nuclear issue at the 2013 Camden Conference. Seyed Hossein Mousavian opened with remarks on Iran-U.S. relations. He served as spokesman for Iran in its…
Iran’s Statement after Nuke Talks
On February 27, Iran's mission to the United Nations issued the following statement on the Almaty talks. In the name of God, In Moscow, the Islamic…
Khamenei Comments: U.S.-Iran Talks Won’t Solve Any Problems
In two major speeches in February, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei focused on the nuclear program, Iran-U.S. relations and domestic infighting. In a speech…
Khazaee Welcomes U.S. Calls for Direct Talks
On February 20, Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee welcomed recent U.S. calls for direct talks in remarks to the Asia Society. He claimed that the Obama administration has taken measures against Iran that could be considered “tantamount to…
Report: Arabs Divided on Iran
Arabs hold complex and sometimes conflicting views of Iran, according to a new report by the United States Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. Attitudes toward Iran in countries with large…
Iran Expects New Offer at Upcoming Talks
Iranian officials expect the world’s six powers to make a new offer at the fourth round of nuclear talks scheduled for February 26. Iran will negotiate with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States—the so-called P5+1— in Almaty,…
U.N. Report: Iran Upgrading Nuclear Capabilities
Iran has begun installing new centrifuges for enriching uranium at the Natanz nuclear facility, according to a new report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Tehran had informed the United Nations in January 2013 that it would install the…
Report: Iran Nuke May Not Trigger Arms Race
Saudi Arabia would probably not rush to acquire a nuclear weapon if Iran builds one, according to a new report by the Center for a New American Security. It is widely assumed that Riyadh would rush to develop its own bomb or acquire…
U.S. Poll: 83 Percent See Iran as Top Threat
About 83 percent of Americans ranked Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions as the greatest threats to U.S. interests, according to a new poll by Gallup. The development of nuclear weapons by the two nations tied for the top…