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Iran’s Deepening Strategic Alliance with Russia

Updated: April 25, 2023
Since mid-2022, Iran has become Russia’s top military backer, according to John Kirby of the National Security Council. Iran’s decision to aid Russia in the war on Ukraine reflected the expanding strategic alliance with Moscow. Since August, Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones,…

E.U. and Britain Sanction Iran for Rights Abuses

On February 20, the European Union and Britain separately imposed punitive sanctions on dozens of Iranian government and security officials for serious human rights violations, particularly during the protests that broke out in September 2022. The European Union, a group of 27 nations that included…

Explainer: Tactics of Iranian Intelligence

Kenneth Katzman, a former CIA analyst and lead Iran specialist at the Congressional Research Service, is now a senior advisor at the Soufan Group.   What does Iran want from its intelligence agencies? What are their primary objectives? Minister of Intelligence and Security KhatibThe primary…

U.S. and GCC Joint Stance on Iran

On February 16, the United States and the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned Iran for its disruptive behavior in the region and committed to expand defense cooperation to deter Tehran. Further “interoperability” is necessary to “constrain Iran’s ability to conduct…

Iran Deepens Ties with China

Amid rising tensions with Western powers, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to strengthen security and economic cooperation. During Raisi’s three-day visit to Beijing, the two countries signed 20 agreements—including on trade, transportation, information…

News Digest: Week of February 13

February 13 Human Rights: Reza Khandan, husband of influential rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, was ordered to Evin Prison within 30 days to serve at least five years of a six-year sentence from 2019. He was reportedly charged with “gathering and collusion against national security”; “propaganda…

Iran in 2023: Congressional Actions

Updated: July 5, 2023
By July 2023, members of Congress had introduced more than a dozen bills and resolutions related to Iran. They spanned a wide range of issues, including the government’s human rights violations and nuclear advances. Some of the legislation recommended the enforcement or expansion of U.S. economic…

Iraqi Minister on U.S., Iran

During a visit to Washington, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein acknowledged that Iran had influence with political parties, even though the government led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani was willing to tell its Iranian counterparts that some of Tehran’s actions were “unacceptable.” Iran…

Iran’s Revolution at 44: Officials on Anniversary

Iran’s leaders marked the 44th anniversary of the 1979 revolution by defiantly blaming adversaries, including the United States, for nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022 after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in detention. “The enemy’s goal is to force the revolution and the government of…

U.S. Sanctions Oil Producers and Shippers

On February 9, the United States sanctioned nine companies based in Iran, Singapore, and Malaysia that produced, sold, and shipped Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals. Petrochemicals, derived from oil and natural gas, are essential to manufacturing paints, plastics, solar panels, medicine, and…

News Digest: Week of February 6

Updated: February 10, 2023
February 5 Human Rights: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pardoned or reduced the sentences of tens of thousands of prisoners, including some protesters, to mark the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. But the pardons were heavily conditioned on good behavior, a formal apology, and a…

Schism Among Iran’s Clerics Over Protests

After five months of protests, a visible schism emerged among Iran’s senior ayatollahs over the death sentences handed down to protesters charged with “corruption on earth” and “enmity toward God.” The numbers of clerics daring to challenge the system were small in a country with tens of thousands…

Supreme Leader Issues Thousands of Pardons

Updated: March 14, 2023
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pardoned or reduced the sentences of tens of thousands of prisoners, including some protesters, to mark the 44th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. But the pardons were heavily conditioned on good behavior, a formal apology, and a pledge not to engage in…

Iran Imprisons Couple for Dancing in Viral Video

In late January 2023, Iran’s judiciary sentenced both Astiyazh Haghighi and Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, a young couple in their early 20s, to five years in prison for posting a video dancing publicly. Haghighi was not wearing the mandatory hijab or headscarf in the video shot at the iconic Azadi (Freedom…

Iran Protest Anthem Wins Grammy

On Feb. 5, 2023, First Lady Jill Biden announced that Shervin Hajipour, a popular 25-year-old Iranian singer, had won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Song for Social Change. The lyrics of “Baraye”—“For…” or “Because of…” in Persian—were pulled from phrases used in Twitter posts about Mahsa…

Khamenei at Coming-of-Age Ceremony for Girls

On February 3, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei participated in a coming-of-age ceremony—known as taklif—for hundreds of schoolgirls. “You are now young girls with responsibilities, and you can have an influence on your family, in your school environment, and when you are playing with your…

U.S. Sanctions Iranian Drone Maker Executives

On February 3, the United States sanctioned eight executives of Paravar Pars Company, which manufactures suicide drones for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC exported hundreds of the Shahed-series drones to Russia for use against Ukraine. Russia launched the drones against both…

News Digest: Week of January 30

January 30 International: A drone strike targeted Iran-backed militants in Syria near the Iraqi border. “A commander in an Iran-backed group and two of his companions, all of them non-Syrian, were killed this morning after renewed drone strikes,” reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.…

Raisi on the Anniversary of the Revolution

On January 31, President Ebrahim Raisi marked the “10 Days of Dawn” commemorating the 1979 revolution by warning that foreign powers were plotting to overthrow the theocracy on its 44th anniversary. In a speech at the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Imam Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, he claimed, “…

Khamenei: Iran's Economy a "Decade Behind"

On January 30, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei admitted that Iran’s economy was “a decade behind” because of sanctions, fluctuations in oil prices, and poor government management. Rapid growth is “absolutely crucial in order to solve the tangible problems associated with people’s livelihood…

Report: Corruption Perceptions in Iran

Iran had one of the highest rates of corruption in the world, according to the annual Transparency International report released in January 2023. The Islamic Republic ranked 147th out of 180 governments evaluated. Iran received a score of 25 on a sale of 100. (In contrast, the United States scored…

Congress Supports Iranian Protesters

On January 25, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan resolution expressing support for Iranian protesters and condemning the government crackdown. The resolution commended the people demonstrating in “more than 133 cities and 130 universities in Iran, where women are…

U.S. Charges Three Men in Iranian Murder Plot

On January 27, the United States indicted three men for plotting to assassinate Masih Alinejad, a Brooklyn-based activist critical of the Iranian government. The men, members of an eastern European criminal organization, were working for people based in Iran. The plot reflected Iran’s determination…

Whither Iran on the Revolution’s Anniversary?

Iran marks the anniversary of the Islamic revolution in February amid increasingly existential challenges at home and in relations with the outside world. Four months of nationwide protests — triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September 2022 — reflected deepening discontent among …

Iran: U.S. and Israeli Threats & Options

For decades, Iran has considered the United States and Israel to be among the greatest threats to the theocracy. After the 1979 revolution, the new Islamic Republic labeled the United States the “Great Satan” and Israel the “Little Satan.” Iran has engaged in a shadow war with both the United…

U.S.: The Iran Threat & Options

Updated: August 1, 2023
For decades, the United States has considered the Islamic Republic to be among the greatest threats to its interests and allies in the Middle East. Successive presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, have cited Iran’s nuclear program, support for terrorism, meddling in the Middle East and…

Israel: The Iran Threat & Options

Updated: September 11, 2023
For decades, Israel has considered the Islamic Republic to be its greatest adversary. Several governments, led by both the left-wing Labor Party and the right-wing Likud Party, have centered their foreign policies around the threats from Iran, ranging from its nuclear program to its creation of a…

E.U. Sanctions Iran for Human Rights Violations

On January 23, the European Union sanctioned 18 Iranian government and security officials for the brutal crackdown on nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022. The group of 27 nations, including some of the world’s largest economies, also imposed sanctions on 19 government bodies and…

U.S. Sanctions for Crackdown on Protests

On January 23, the United States sanctioned a senior intelligence official and nine commanders or board members affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for human rights abuses in the crackdown on protests ignited in September 2022. Five of the men worked with the IRGC…

News Digest: Week of January 23

January 21 Economy: The Iranian rial fell to a record low against the U.S. dollar. One dollar was trading for 447,000 rials. It traded for 430,500 rials the previous day. Iran was struggling to deal with rampant inflation and the long-term impact of international sanctions.   January 23…