iran primer's Blog
Iran’s Diverse Coverage of Paris Attack
Several Iranian newspapers ran front page stories on the killing of 12 people at the Paris headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Some focused on the tragic nature of the attack and labeled it terrorism. For example, Etemad published the headline “Black Wednesday in Paris.” But both…
Iran Condemns Paris Shooting
On January 9, President Hassan Rouhani condemned violence perpetrated in Islam’s name. “Those who kill and carry out violent and extremist acts unjustly in the name of jihad, religion or Islam provoke Islamophobia whether they wish it or not,” he warned in a meeting with International Islamic Unity…
Iran on Islamic State
On December 29, 2014, Iran held a funeral for Brig. Gen. Hamid Taqavi, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander who was killed in the Iraqi town of Samarra, home to a Shiite shrine. The Revolutionary Guards did not detail the scope of Taqavi's role in Iraq. But he was reportedly the highest-ranking…
Parliament Debates Nuclear Deal
On January 6, Iran’s parliament called a snap vote over Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s handling of nuclear talks with the world’s six major powers. Conservative lawmakers had accused the minister of making too many concessions in the most recent round of diplomacy in December.But Zarif hit…
Rouhani Prepares Ground for Compromise
On January 4, President Hassan Rouhani began preparing the public for a compromise on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The country's ideals “are not linked to centrifuges but to our heart and determination,” he said in remarks to a conference of 1,500 economists in Tehran. He emphasized the…
Obama on Iran in 2015
On Dec. 18, 2014, President Barack Obama discussed U.S. engagement with Iran in an interview with NPR News. He said that Iran has “a chance to get right with the world” by reaching a nuclear deal. Iran and the world's six major powers - the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany…
US Targets Sanctions Evaders, Human Rights Abusers
On December 30, the U.S. Department of the Treasury targeted nine individuals and entities for helping the Iranian government evade sanctions and for human rights abuses related to censorship. The Treasury also updated information related to 30 ships blocked for their affiliation with…
Politics in 2014: Rouhani's Tough Year
It was a year of political paradoxes for President Hassan Rouhani. He faced challenges from the other two branches of government—the judiciary and parliament—as well as limits on his powers by the virtually omnipotent Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Throughout the year,…
Iran Hosts Conference Against Extremism
From December 9 to 10, Iran's Institute for Political and International Studies hosted a conference on countering violence and extremism in Tehran. The gathering was inspired by President Hassan Rouhani’s 2013 address to the United Nations, in which he proposed the “world against…
Obama Administration Resists New Sanctions
Several U.S. lawmakers called for new sanctions on Iran following the decision to extend nuclear talks with the world's six major powers another seven months. But Obama administration officials have warned that new sanctions could derail the talks. A negotiated deal “is the best way to…