Archive
On April 18, the G7 countries and the European Union criticized Iran’s “unabated escalation” of its nuclear program and proliferation of weapons to militant proxies, Russia and others. The world’s most advanced economies also called on the Iranian government to end its crackdown on protesters,… Read More
April 10
International: A bipartisan group of 130 U.S. lawmakers urged the European Union to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. In a letter, the group described Iran as “a leading state sponsor of terror,” and warned that Tehran “has freely and… Read More
April 3
International: Israel reportedly launched a fourth round of strikes in Syria in less than a week. Israel targeted military sites near Damascus controlled by Iran-backed militias, hitting a radar system in Sweida and a glass factory near al Kiswah. Two civilians were reportedly killed. … Read More
Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has spawned more than a dozen disparate intelligence agencies that engage in domestic and foreign surveillance. They separately report to different government ministries, branches of the military, or police forces. Under the constitution, the Supreme National… Read More
In March 2023, the U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Iran deplored the “brutal response” of the government to nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022. The Islamic Republic had killed hundreds of protesters, including children, since the demonstrations began. Javaid Rehman… Read More
March 27
Diplomacy: Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian agreed to meet during the month of Ramadan. The two discussed bilateral ties in a second phone call since Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations in March 2023… Read More
On March 30, Washington and Tehran both declared victory after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on disputed Iranian assets frozen by the United States. The top U.N. court rejected Iran’s bid to unfreeze some $2 billion in central bank funds held in a Citibank account in New York. But… Read More
Iran was the “leading state sponsor of terrorism,” according to the State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2021. The Ministry of Intelligence and Security facilitated a “wide range of terrorist and other illicit activities” in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. And the elite Qods… Read More
Between 2017 and 2023, Iranian-backed militias have launched dozens of attacks on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq. Tensions escalated in March 2023 after a series of exchanges near U.S. positions in Syria when an Iranian drone attack killed a U.S. contractor and injured five troops and another… Read More
March 20
International: The European Union sanctioned eight men and one organization, and Britain designated seven men for human rights abuses, particularly during the nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022. The designations reflected growing international disgust over the Islamic… Read More
On March 21, Iran’s leaders marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year and the first day of spring, by declaring victory over the protesters but acknowledging economic difficulties. Both Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi blamed months of “riots” on Western powers. American… Read More
On March 21, the United States sanctioned three men and four organizations that procured equipment for Iran’s drone and weapons programs. The network, based in Iran and Turkey, had links to the Ministry of Defense. One firm was owned by the ministry. Two of the men tried to acquire European-made… Read More
On March 20, Lt. Col. Jasmin Moghbeli, an Iranian-American astronaut leading NASA's summer 2023 mission to the International Space Station, was a featured speaker with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the first annual White House Nowruz reception. In her remarks, Moghbeli expressed… Read More
On March 20, President Joe Biden hosted the inaugural Nowruz reception at the White House, where he lauded Iranian women who were “fighting for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.” Biden welcomed the Persian new year, which he said “reminds us of hope and what that lies ahead from these… Read More
On March 20, the European Union sanctioned eight men and one organization, and Britain designated seven men for human rights abuses, particularly during the nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022. The designations reflected growing international disgust over the Islamic Republic’s… Read More
Iran’s human rights record was extremely poor in 2022, particularly after nationwide protests erupted in September after the death in detention of Mahsa Amini, the State Department reported. Security, judicial, and political officials carried out unlawful killings and arbitrary detentions,… Read More
Iran marked Nowruz, the Persian new year, on March 21, 2023. The holiday, which falls on the spring equinox, dates back to the sixth century B.C. and is celebrated by all of the Islamic Republic’s religious sects. Many of the season’s traditions have roots in Zoroastrianism, an ancient monotheistic… Read More
The Islamic Republic faced a daunting array of challenges as it marked Nowruz, the Persian new year, in March 2023. At home, an increasingly unpopular government was dealing with skyrocketing prices, energy shortages, and new protests over the poisoning of thousands of schoolgirls. Both Supreme… Read More
Nasser Hadian is a U.S.-educated professor of political science at the University of Tehran and a former visiting professor at Columbia University.
As Iran marks the end of its year, what is the status of the protests that first erupted in September 2022?
As of early 2023, major protests had… Read More
March 11
Domestic: More than 100 people “responsible for the recent school incidents” -- the government's description for the mass poisoning of schoolgirls -- across 11 provinces had been detained, the Interior Ministry said. Some of the detainees had “hostile motives” and sought to instill terror… Read More
U.S. national security and foreign policy officials expressed cautious optimism after Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties on March 10, 2023. “We welcome the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” said John Kirby of the National Security Council. But “it really does remain to… Read More
On March 10, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic ties seven years after severing relations. The regional rivals committed to reopening embassies in Tehran and Riyadh by May 2023. The deal, brokered by China, also included the implementation of a security cooperation agreement signed… Read More
On March 9, the United States sanctioned five companies and one woman based in China for supporting Iran’s efforts to procure drone components. The network was linked to Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company (HESA), which produced Shahed-136 suicide drones. The unmanned aerial vehicles (… Read More
On March 9, the United States sanctioned 39 companies for providing Iranian oil firms access to the international financial system. The network, which moved billions of dollars for the Islamic Republic, was based in Iran, Hong Kong, Singapore, Pakistan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the… Read More
In 2023, Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzahi, a leading Sunni cleric in Sistan and Baluchistan, gained national attention after calling for a new constitution and an end to theocratic rule. His fiery sermons led thousands of ethnic Baluch to demand an end to the brutal government crackdown against… Read More
Between November 2022 and March 2023, up to 7,000 schoolgirls were poisoned at dozens of schools in at least 28 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to human rights groups and government officials. Hundreds were hospitalized with symptoms that included respiratory distress, numbness in limbs, heart… Read More
After years of stonewalling, Iran pledged on March 4, 2023 to cooperate with a U.N. probe into traces of uranium at three undeclared sites that date back to a covert program before 2003. Tehran also promised to reinstall monitoring equipment, including cameras, that had been removed from nuclear… Read More
To mark International Women’s Day on March 8, the United States, Britain, the European Union, and Australia imposed sanctions on more than a dozen Iranian government and security officials, business leaders, companies, and government institutions for human rights abuses of women and girls. The… Read More
Senior U.S. officials have been increasingly critical of the Iranian government for the brutal treatment of girls and women – including murder, rape, torture, and mass arrests – since the death of Mahsa Amini on Sept. 16, 2022 ignited nationwide protests. “The regime is brutally repressing the… Read More
On March 8, the U.S. intelligence community warned that Iran is an escalating threat to the United States and its allies because of its advances in both conventional and unconventional capabilities, including cyber technology, ballistic and cruise missiles, arsenal of drones and nuclear potential.… Read More