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The Shadow War: Iran Against Israel in Syria
Since 2013, Israel has launched more than 100 airstrikes against Iran’s forces and its allies in Syria. What’s happening?
Israel has long been wary of Iran’s power projection in the Levant, particularly in Syria. Ties between Tehran and Damascus have been close since the 1979 revolution, but the…
US Sanctions Iran Central Bank Chief
Updated: May 23, 2018
On May 15, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned four individuals and one bank for moving millions of dollars on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to the Lebanese militia and political movement Hizballah. One of the individuals was Valiollah Seif, Iran’s Central…
Future of the Deal I: Zarif’s Letter to the UN
On May 10, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemning the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal and reimposition of sanctions on Tehran. "These acts constitute a complete disregard for international law and the United Nations…
Poll: Iranian Attitudes on Nuclear Deal
In a poll conducted before the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, a majority of Iranians said they would support retaliation against the United States if it abrogated the accord. The IranPoll survey also showed that 92 percent of Iranians had no confidence that the United States would live up…
US Sanctions Iran Currency Exchange Network
On May 10, the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) moved to disrupt an extensive currency exchange network that helped fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force (IRGC-QF), the elite unit responsible for operations abroad. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned nine…
Israel Hits Dozens of Iranian Targets in Syria
On May 10, Israeli jets struck some 70 Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire attributed to Iran. It was Israel’s largest attack carried out in Syria since the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, according to an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson. “We will not allow Iran to establish a…
Exiting the Deal Part 9: Iranian Media Coverage
Updated: May 30, 2018
The U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal was the top story in Iranian newspapers on May 9, the day after President Donald Trump’s announcement. His decision produced common cause among Iran’s diverse political cartoonists through the end of the month. The Islamic Republic has a broad political…
Exiting the Deal Part 8: Middle East Responds
Updated: May 14, 2018
On May 8, President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Israel and the Gulf states welcomed Trump's decision. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Trump's decision as an "historic move" and praised his "courageous leadership…
Exiting the Deal Part 7: Experts Analysis
Foreign policy and nonproliferation experts issued a range of reactions to President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. Some critics of the accord thought the move was risky. "I would've preferred to see a US-E3 agreement first," Mark Dubowitz, CEO of…
Exiting the Deal Part 6: Obama Officials React
Updated: May 11, 2018
On May 8, President Trump withdrew from the landmark Obama-era Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran. Former President Barack Obama and other officials from his administration criticized Trump's move. "Walking away from the JCPOA turns our back on America’s closest allies, and an…
Exiting the Deal Part 5: Congressional Remarks
Updated: May 9, 2018
Members of Congress were divided over President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal. Many Republicans and Democrats criticized the president's decision or at least regretted not being able to reach a supplemental agreement with European allies. U.S. diplomats had been quietly…
Exiting the Deal Part 4: World Reacts
Updated: May 10, 2018
Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in the wake of President Trump's decision to withdraw from the accord and reimpose sanctions on Iran. "As long as Iran continues to implement its nuclear related commitments, as it is doing so…
Exiting the Deal Part 3: Iran Responds
Updated: May 14, 2018
On May 8, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal. In a televised address, Rouhani said Trump “is not loyal to international commitments” and that his behavior disgraces the American people. Rouhani said he has ordered the…
Exiting the Deal Part 2: US Treasury on Sanctions
On May 8, the U.S Treasury Department issued guidance on how it will implement President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions. “Sanctions will be reimposed subject to certain 90 day and 180 day wind-down periods,” explained Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a…
Exiting the Deal Part 1: Trump Remarks
Updated: May 14, 2018
On May 8, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. "The fact is this was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made. It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will," Trump said in his address. "The agreement was so…
Last Minute Scramble on JCPOA
Updated: May 8, 2018
On May 6, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson traveled to Washington D.C. for two days of talks with the Trump administration on Iran, North Korea, Syria and other major international issues. He was due to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, National Security Advisor John Bolton, and others.…
Rouhani: Iran Could Remain in Nuclear Deal If US Withdraws
On May 7, President Hassan Rouhani suggested that Iran could remain in the 2015 nuclear deal even if the United States withdraws. “What we want for the deal is that it's preserved and guaranteed by the non-Americans,” he told officials in Mashhad, the country’s second largest city. Rouhani was…
Zarif: Iran Won’t Renegotiate Nuclear Deal
On May 3, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal. He also clarified Iran’s position on renegotiating the accord or a possible supplemental deal. “Let me make it absolutely clear once and for all: We…
Part 3: Iran’s Growing Influence in Iraq
Two Middle East experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace, Elie Abouaoun and Sarhang Hamasaeed, discuss Iran’s evolving role in Iraq with Garrett Nada.
What are the major phases that Iraq has gone through since the 2003 toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime? What has Iran’s involvement been during…
Poll: Public Support for Iran Deal at Record High
Updated: May 8, 2018
A majority of Americans support the Iran nuclear deal and think the United States should not withdraw, according to polls conducted by CNN, Morning Consult and Politico. But a CBS News poll found that many Americans don't know enough about the 2015 accord to say what the United States should do.…
Experts and Former Officials Respond to Israeli Claims
Updated: May 7, 2018
On April 30, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented evidence that Iran lied about never having a nuclear weapons program. He also charged that Iran is still working to "expand its nuclear weapons know-how for future use," despite the 2015 nuclear deal. Former U.S. officials and nuclear…
Iran's Past Nuclear Experiments Reflect Value of JCPOA
For decades, the international community has grappled with the danger of nuclear weapons proliferation and, in particular, the risk that the Islamic Republic of Iran might seek the capability to design and produce nuclear weapons.
For more than a decade following the 2003 revelation that Iran had…
Iran’s Volatile Currency
Updated: May 7, 2018
The value of Iran’s rial declined rapidly in early April, triggering a race on foreign currency and public panic. Iranians who lined up outside banks to buy dollars were turned away because of shortages. The rial had already been depreciating for months. It lost nearly half of its value on the free…
Europe, Russia and China Respond to Israeli Claims
European leaders have reaffirmed their support for the Iran nuclear deal in the wake of Israeli allegations over Iran's attempts to design, produce and test nuclear weapons. "The Israeli Prime Minister’s presentation on Iran’s past research into nuclear weapons technology underlines the importance…
IAEA Responds to Israeli Claims
On May 1, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) responded to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims about Iran's efforts to design, produce and test nuclear weapons. The IAEA statement pointed to its 2015 report that covered many of the same issues. "The Agency’s overall…
Iran Reacts to Netanyahu's Allegations
Updated: May 3, 2018
Iranian officials have dismissed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allegations about Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. “The boy who can’t stop crying wolf is at it again,” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. Netanyahu presented what he considered incontrovertible evidence proving…
US Response to Israeli Claims on Iran
Updated: May 1, 2018
On April 30, President Donald Trump cited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s revelations about Iran’s nuclear activities and ballistic missile program as proof that the nuclear deal is flawed. “I think if anything what’s happening today … and what we’ve learned [from Israel] has really shown that…
Netanyahu: Iran Lied About Nuclear Weapons Program
Updated: May 3, 2018
In a surprise development, less than two weeks before President Donald Trump’s decision on the fate of the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made serious charges about Tehran's nuclear program. He said Israel obtained 100,000 “secret files that prove” Iran lied about…
European and UN Leaders on Nuclear Deal
Updated: May 3, 2018
The three major European powers —Britain, France and Germany — have been quietly negotiating with the United States since January on how to supplement the Iran nuclear deal. President Donald Trump has demanded fixes to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under threat of withdrawing from…
Pompeo on Iran on Middle East Trip
On April 26, Mike Pompeo embarked on his first international trip as Secretary of State. His first stop was Brussels, where he discussed the Iran nuclear deal with NATO allies. Trump has demanded fixes to the JCPOA under threat of withdrawing from it; he is due to make a decision on May 12. “There’…