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Yazdi Elected Assembly of Experts Chairman
On March 10, hardliner Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi (left) was elected chairman of the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s only constitutional body with the authority to appoint and dismiss the supreme leader. Yazdi won 47 out of 73 votes, defeating the more centrist Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Former President…
Part I: GOP Letter on Iran
On March 9, a group of 47 Republican senators warned Iran's leaders that a nuclear deal signed during President Barack Obama’s tenure could be revoked by the next president or modified by a future Congress. “We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved…
Part II: Iran Responds to GOP Letter
The following are responses by Iranian officials on the GOP letter to Iran’s leadership. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali KhameneiThe letter is "the collapse of political ethics and the U.S. system's internal disintegration." "American senators officially announced the commitment will be null and void…
Part III: White House and Democrats Respond to GOP Letter
The following are responses by President Obama, administration officials and Democrats on the GOP letter to Iran’s leadership. President Barack Obama “I’m embarrassed for them. For them to address a letter to the ayatollah... who they claim is our mortal enemy, and their basic…
Part IV: Media Roundup on GOP Letter
The following is a snapshot of editorials from U.S. newspapers and media outlets on the GOP letter to Iran’s leaders. The Washington Post “Republicans fumble their chance to focus attention on an Iran deal” Congressional Republicans are trying to obstruct President Obama from…
Nuke Talks: Latest from Iran, P5+1
On March 2, deputy foreign ministers from Iran and the world’s six major powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States – resumed negotiations over Iran’s controversial nuclear program in Montreux, Switzerland. Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held…
Kerry on Disappearance of Robert Levinson
On March 9, Secretary of State John Kerry asked Iran’s government to work cooperatively to ensure the safe return of retired FBI agent Robert Levinson to the United States. Levinson disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island on March 9, 2007. He was reportedly investigating cigarette smuggling while…
Poll: Rouhani vs Ahmadinejad in 2017
A new poll by the U.S.-based Information and Public Opinion Solutions (IPOS) has found that President Hassan Rouhani (left) has the highest favorability rating of potential 2017 presidential candidates, followed by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (right). Ahmadinejad, president from 2005 to…
Poll: Rouhani Approval Ratings Down
President Hassan Rouhani’s approval rating has fallen just below 50 percent, according to a new poll by the U.S.-based Information and Public Opinion Solutions (IPOS). The latest survey, conducted February 14-15, found that Rouhani’s approval has slipped to 49 percent from 59 percent in November…
Netanyahu Speech: Obama & Iran React
The following is a three-part series detailing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and reactions from U.S. and Iranian leaders. Part 1 - Netanyahu Speech: The TextPart 2 - Netanyahu Speech: Obama, US React Part 3 - Netanyahu Speech: Iran Reacts Netanyahu Speech: …
Netanyahu Speech: Iran Reacts
Iranian officials sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.S. Congress on March 3, in which he argued against a potential nuclear deal with Iran. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Netanyahu of distorting reality and running a “popularity contest” in…
Nuke Talks: Kerry's Latest Remarks
On March 4, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - made progress after the latest round of nuclear negotiations in Montreux, Switzerland. But he noted that "there are still significant…
Netanyahu Speech: US Reacts
On March 3, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned against a potential nuclear deal with Iran in an address to Congress in Washington, D.C. Administration officials and several Democratic lawmakers were critical of the speech. President Barack Obama claimed that Netanyahu "has not offered any…
Netanyahu Speech: The Text
On March 3, 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized a potential nuclear deal with Iran in an address to Congress in Washington, D.C. “We've been told that no deal is better than a bad deal,” he said. “Well, this is a bad deal. It's a very bad deal. We're better off without it.”…
AIPAC Conference: Officials on Iran
On March 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned attendees of the 2015 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference that Iran “vows to annihilate Israel.” If Tehran develops nuclear weapons, “it would have the means to achieve that goal,” he said in Washington, D.C…
UN Report: Human Rights Concerns in Iran
Iran failed to address key human rights issues in 2014, according to a new report from the U.N. Office of the Secretary General to the U.N. Human Rights Council. At least 500 people were executed between January and November 2014, many of whom were not given a fair trial. The report also…
Poll: Majority of Americans Back Nuke Deal
Americans broadly support direct negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program, according to a new poll by CNN and ORC International. But they are split across party lines regarding the open letter to Iran’s leaders signed by 47 Republican senators. The letter warned that a nuclear deal signed…
Senators Seek Congressional Review of Any Nuclear Deal with Iran
On February 27, U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-TN), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a bill that would require the president to submit the text of an Iran nuclear deal to Congress for review. The act would also prohibit the Obama administration from…
Gallup: Iranians Hopeful for Nuclear Deal
Iranians are more optimistic that the ongoing nuclear talks will produce an agreement than they were in May 2013, according to a new Gallup poll. Around 70 percent of Iranians are at least "somewhat hopeful" a deal will be reached, compared to 58 percent in 2013. More than 1,000 Iranian adults were…
U.S. Media on Iran Deal
U.S. media outlets, experts, and former officials have voiced strong opinions on the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. The following is a rundown of op/eds on the nuclear talks by former U.S.…
Rouhani Appeals to Qom's Clergy
On February 25, President Hassan Rouhani addressed crowds of people in Qom, a holy city whose clergy are influential in Iranian politics. Rouhani referred to Qom’s clergy as the “backbone” of Iran. His remarks focused on the issue of sanctions in the nuclear talks between Iran and the world’s six…
Economic Trends
Garrett NadaJanuary and February The most important developments in early 2015 were Iran’s reactions to low oil prices. The price of crude oil was still hovering around $60 a barrel in February, down from $115 in June 2014. In January, Iran’s government readjusted the new budget to assume an oil…
Geneva Nuke Talks: Latest from Iran, P5+1
On Feb. 23, 2015, Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - concluded another round of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program in Geneva. Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz…
Media Ban on Khatami
On February 16, judiciary spokesperson Gholamhossein Mohseni-Eje’i confirmed that former President Mohammad Khatami’s name has been banned from mention in the media. Mohseni-Eje’i did not name Khatami, president from 1997 to 2005, by name, instead referring to him as “the leader of the reformist…
Report: Saudi-Iranian 'Cold War' in Yemen
Regional competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia has aggravated unrest in Yemen, according to a new publication by Peter Salisbury from the Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of using the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite group based in northern Yemen, as a…
UN: Questions Remain on Nuclear Research
On February 19, the U.N. nuclear watchdog reported that Iran has yet to provide explanations regarding possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. Tehran was due to address two practical measures by late August, which could help determine if it carried out explosive tests and other…
Khamenei: Iran Can Resist Sanctions
On February 18, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians to “resist sanctions” and not allow Western countries to place conditions on the country's nuclear program. In a public speech, Khamenei warned that Iran can impose sanctions on the West if necessary. “Iran has the world’s largest…
U.S. Calls for Release of Opposition Leaders
On February 14, the U.S. State Department called for the immediate release of 2009 presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi. The former speaker of parliament and former prime minister, as well as Mousavi’s wife, have been under house arrest for four…
Rivals on Women & Minorities: ISIS v Iran
Cameron Glenn and Garrett Nada The contrast between the Islamic State and the Islamic Republic is especially visible in their treatment of women and minorities, evident in ISIS documents and Iranian laws. On paper, both discriminate. But in Iran, women and ethnic or religious minorities generally…
Rival Islamic Leaders: ISIS v Iran
Cameron Glenn and Garrett NadaThe caliph in the Islamic State and the Supreme Leader in Iran hold absolute authority in both political and religious realms with few, if any, real checks on their power. Both ISIS and Iran emphasize scholarship and piety as qualifications for their leaders. The…