Iran Primer's Blog
Khamenei: Iran Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons
On February 16, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed Iran has no intention to build nuclear weapons. But he warned that if Tehran decided to build them, the United States could not stop it. …
Democrats Propose Posting U.S. Diplomat in Iran
On February 15, Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced legislation that would reestablish a new diplomatic envoy to Iran. The high level envoy would be responsible for pursuing direct, sustained, bilateral and…
U.S. Condemns Imprisonment of Opposition
On February 14, the United States condemned Iran's continued imprisonment of former presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and his wife, women’s rights activist Zahra Rahnavard. They have…
Iran Responds to U.N. on Nuclear Program
Tehran is serious about upcoming talks with the six world powers, and expects them to be forthcoming, according to a statement from the Iranian Mission to the United Nations. Iran is scheduled to discuss its controversial nuclear…
Obama: Time for a Diplomatic Solution
On February 12, President Obama said Iran’s leaders “must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution” to the nuclear issue, during his State of the Union address. He warned that the United States will do “what is…
Khamenei: U.S. Policies Have Failed in Mideast
On February 7, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that U.S. Middle East policies have failed. He condemned the U.S. response to the Arab uprisings in a speech to Iranian Air Force commanders and personnel. “You suppress the…
U.S. Sanctions Chinese Firms for Proliferation
On February 11, the U.S. State Department imposed new nonproliferation sanctions on entities and individuals from Belarus, China, Iran, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela. Credible information indicated that they had transferred to, or acquired from, Iran, North…
Iran Reacts to Obama’s New Team
Tehran has sent mixed messages on President Obama’s secretary of state nominee John Kerry and defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel. Two Foreign Ministry officials said they hoped Kerry and Hagel would revise U.S. foreign policy towards Iran. But Supreme…
New Human Rights Watch Report on Iran
In 2012, Iran put opposition leaders under house arrest, harassed and arrested civil society activists, and prevented opposition candidates from running for parliament, according to the new World Report by Human Rights Watch. The…
Nuclear Issue: Why is Iran Negotiating?
The Islamic Republic is under increasing domestic and international pressure to be more flexible on its nuclear program, according to according to a new report by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Iran is…