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News Digest: Week of August 30
August 31
Diplomacy: Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly invited him to visit Paris. The Elysée did not immediately comment on these remarks. “The French were very interested to use the opportunity [of the Iraq summit] to get close to…
Raisi's Economic Team
The Bourse & Bazaar Foundation, a think tank focused on economic diplomacy and development in the Middle East and Central Asia, prepared this report in collaboration with "The Iran Primer."
President Ebrahim Raisi has prioritized improving Iran’s faltering economy. He took office in August…
Raisi and the Revolutionary Guards
Alex Vatanka is the director of the Iran Program and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
Under President Ebrahim Raisi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is poised to exert greater control over Iran’s national security agenda and economy. Several of his ministers and advisors…
U.S. Settlement with Bank on Sanctions Violations
On August 27, the U.S. Treasury announced that it had reached a settlement agreement with Romanian bank First Bank SA and its American parent company, JC Flowers & Co., for apparent violation of Iran and Syria sanctions. The bank and company agreed to pay $862,318 for processing 98 commercial…
Israeli Prime Minister Bennett on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has long taken a hardline stance on Iran’s regional intervention and controversial nuclear program. Bennett has criticized the Islamic Republic since he was first elected to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in 2013. He has made Iran a top foreign policy issue…
U.S. Loosens Restrictions on Educational Services for Iranian Students
On August 24, the Treasury Department temporarily loosened restrictions on educational services for certain Iranian students. The general license, issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, allowed U.S. institutions to provide online courses and educational software to Iranian students who…
Iran and the Taliban Takeover
Iran welcomed the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan while it also scrambled to deal with the sudden influx of thousands of refugees along the 572-mile border. For months, Iran had been positioning itself for the transition by hosting a Taliban delegation in January and intra-Afghan peace…
News Digest: Week of August 23
Updated: August 26, 2021
August 23
Afghanistan: Iran announced that it would resume exporting fuel to Afghanistan at the Taliban’s request. The price of gasoline had exceeded $900 per ton in Afghanistan due to a spike in demand from Afghans fleeing Taliban-controlled cities.
Diplomacy: Outgoing Foreign Minister…
Under Raisi, Three Scenarios for Nuclear Talks
Updated: November 28, 2021
Ali Vaez is Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group and Senior Adviser to ICG’s president.
Iran and the world's six major powers are schedule to resume negotiations on November 29. What package of ideas are on the table after six rounds of talks in Vienna?
Ali VaezThe core…
British, Russian Envoys Summoned Over Photo
On August 12, Iran summoned the British and Russian ambassadors for posing in a photo commemorating the meeting of Allied leaders in Tehran during World War II. The photo, tweeted by the Russian embassy on August 11, recalled a picture of Soviet leader Josef Stalin, British Prime Minister Winston…
News Digest: Week of August 16
August 16
Diplomacy: Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged that he would "enrich" the 25-year strategic partnership between Beijing and Tehran that was signed in March 2021. "Since the establishment of diplomatic ties half a century ago, the relations between China and Iran have developed steadily…
U.S. Sanctions Iran Oil Smuggling Network
On August 13, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned an oil smuggling network for supporting the Qods Force, the external operations branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Qods Force “has been using revenue from Iranian petroleum sales to fund its malign activities,” Secretary of…
Raisi's National Security Team
Updated: September 10, 2021
Raisi named his cabinet nominees on August 11, 2021On Aug. 11, 2021, President Ebrahim Raisi submitted a list of 19 proposed cabinet members to Parliament, the Majles, which must approve all nominations. Two weeks later, Parliament approved all of his picks with the exception of his proposed…
News Digest: Week of August 9
Updated: August 12, 2021
August 9
Diplomacy: President Ebrahim Raisi spoke with French President Emanuel Macron in an hour-long phone call. The pair discussed the situation in Lebanon, maritime security in the Persian Gulf and nuclear negotiations in Vienna. Raisi told Macron that he would "welcome" French support in…
Raisi's COVID-19 Challenge
Updated: August 23, 2021
President Ebrahim Raisi was inaugurated during the fifth and most infectious wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 38,000 new cases were reported on the day that he took office. The more infectious Delta variant was first reported in the southern provinces of Fars, Hormozgan, Kerman, and Sistan…
CENTCOM: Iran Behind Drone Attack on Tanker
Iran produced at least one of the drones used in the deadly attack on the Mercer Street – a Liberian-flagged oil tanker with ties to Israel – on July 29 and 30, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM released the findings of its investigation into the drone attack and published photos…
U.S. Report on Religious Minorities in Iran
In the first half of 2021, Iran persecuted religious minorities including Baha’is and Christians as well as Sunni and Sufi Muslims, according to a new report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “Iranian authorities have arrested scores of religious minorities, who face…
U.S. Calls on Raisi to Resume Nuclear Talks
On August 5, the United States called on Iran’s new president, Ebrahim Raisi, to resume talks on restoring full U.S. and Iranian compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. “We urge Iran to return to the negotiations soon so that we can seek to conclude our work,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price…
Controversy on Raisi Visa for U.N. Summit
After President Ebrahim Raisi’s inauguration on August 5, the Biden administration faced the awkward issue of whether to grant a visa to a man sanctioned by the U.S. government and who played a role in the massacre of some 5,000 political prisoners. Raisi, like previous Iranian presidents, may seek…
Raisi Inaugurated, Pledges to Revive Economy
On August 5, former judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi took the oath of office as Iran’s eighth president in a ceremony before parliament, senior officials and foreign dignitaries. Raisi’s election, in June, reflects the growing hold by hardliners over all branches of government.
On foreign policy,…
News Digest: Week of August 2
August 2
Diplomacy: The Iranian embassy in Kabul recommended all Iranians residing outside of the capital city "immediately leave" Afghanistan. Iran hosted intra-Afghan talks in early July amid a renewed military offensive by the Taliban and the withdrawal of nearly all U.S. forces.
Health: Iran…
Raisi’s Challenges: Protests, Sanctions & COVID-19
Henry Rome is the deputy head of research at Eurasia Group. Follow him on Twitter @hrome2.
What are the most pressing political issues that Ebrahim Raisi faces at home?
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left) endorsed Ebrahim Raisi (right) as president on Aug. 3, 2021Raisi is inheriting an…
Khamenei Blesses Raisi as President
On August 3, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally endorsed Ebrahim Raisi as president, the first step in the transition of power. He called on Raisi to “empower the middle and lower classes of society that are shouldering the burden of economic problems.” Khamenei gave Raisi a mandate to…
Iran Behind Oil Tanker Attack
Updated: August 25, 2021
On July 29, an oil tanker with ties to Israel was hit in a drone strike off the coast of Oman, killing two crew members. The Mercer Street was owned by a Japanese company and flew the Liberian flag, but was managed by Zodiac Maritime, a company headed by an Israeli shipping magnate. On August 1, U.…
In Farewell, Rouhani Admits Mistakes
Outgoing President Hassan Rouhani apologized to Iranians for their suffering during his eight years in office. “If we had any shortcoming and flaws, we ask people’s forgiveness and mercy,” he said during his last cabinet meeting on August 1. Rouhani said that his administration would have been more…
Rouhani’s Forlorn Presidency
Hassan Rouhani at a 2013 press conferenceAfter the eight years of Ahmadinejad’s controversial presidency, Hassan Rouhani’s election marked a return to government of men (and some women) with experience and common sense. Rouhani was an insider, having served for 16 years as the head of Iran’s…
News Digest: Week of July 26
July 26:
Internet: Iran's Parliament tabled a controversial bill that would have limited access to the internet. Major digital business, including online retailers and video streaming services, had opposed the bill, Al Jazeera reported.
Nuclear: The French foreign ministry warned that Iran's…
Supreme Leader on U.S. & Nuclear Talks
On July 28, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the United States of being “obstinate” and “cowardly” in talks on restoring full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. “On paper and in words, they promise to remove the sanctions, but they have not and will not remove them,” he told…
Iran, Afghanistan and the Taliban
Updated: August 18, 2021
For decades, Iran has faced an ever-growing array of challenges from neighboring Afghanistan, with which it shares a 572-mile border. Iran had long sought the withdrawal of U.S. forces, which President Joe Biden announced on April 14. But the absence of the U.S.-led NATO forces has also created new…
Iran at the Olympics
Updated: August 7, 2021
On July 23, Iran’s delegation joined 204 nations to inaugurate the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Iranian flagbearers, male basketball player Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and female shooter Hanieh Rostamian, led the team in the opening ceremony; the women wore long, light-blue garments and headscarves, while…