United States
On July 29, U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivered a much-anticipated speech on foreign policy in Jerusalem. His remarks to the Jerusalem Foundation focused on the U.S.-Israel relationship and the current state of affairs in the Middle East. The following are excerpts from the speech…
The Stimson Center project, “Iran and America: A Dialogue about Disability,” held in partnership with the Harvard Law School Project on Disability, BlueLaw International LLP, and several Iranian organizations was a cross-cultural dialogue on disability law and rights. Funded by USIP,…
Patrick Clawson The Treasury department sanctioned a prominent Iran-based al Qaeda facilitator and five other members of his network. How important is this new development?The Treasury Department is effectively accusing Iran of being an important link in al Qaeda’s financing and recruitment…
Alireza Nader The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to provide measured support to Taliban insurgents battling U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. However, Iran also maintains close and constructive relations with the same Afghan central government that is battling Taliban forces.…
Semira N. Nikou In widely diverse responses, Iran discounted Osama bin Laden’s death while at the same time calling for a faster U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan since the pretext for going to war was eliminated. But officials and media generally did not mourn bin Laden’s passing. Iran’s…
Anthony H. Cordesman Saudi Arabia and the United States may not share the same political system and culture, but they do share broad strategic interests. Both countries must now deal with Iran in context of the arc of political instability that extends from Pakistan to Morocco—and is of…
Michael Eisenstadt Political change sweeping the Middle East has heightened concerns about a shifting balance of power in Iran’s favor. But Tehran’s experience in Iraq provides critical insights into the limits of the Islamic Republic’s regional influence, and its propensity to be its…
Mark N. Katz After a year of cooperation on Iran, Russia now opposes new sanctions or other tough measures to pressure Tehran on its controversial nuclear program. The failure of recent diplomacy to get Iran to comply with U.N. resolutions, and reassure the world that it is not secretly…
Robin Wright The United States imposed new sanctions on two top Iranian officials for engaging in “serious human rights abuses” since the disputed 2009 election. In a striking run of statements on February 23, the White House, State Department and Treasury Department issued three separate…
Omid Memarian
What is the Mujahedeen-e Khalq organization?
The Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MEK), or the People’s Mujahedeen Organization, was founded in 1965 as an urban guerilla group opposed to the monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It participated in the 1979 Revolution but later broke with…