Garrett Nada's Blog
Iran & South Asia #4: Issues, Facts & Figures
December 16, 2013
Garrett Nada
The following is a rundown of key facts and figures on Iran’s relations with Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Afghanistan and Iran
Pakistan and Iran
India and Iran
Garrett Nada is the assistant editor of The Iran Primer at USIP.
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Part II: Opposition to a Deal - Israel
November 14, 2013
Garrett Nada Israel is the most skeptical country about diplomacy to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has generally dismissed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s diplomatic overtures to the outside world as a deceptive “charm offensive.” In…
Iran Frees Top Human Rights Activist, Others
September 18, 2013
Garrett Nada In the first big move on human rights since President Hassan Rouhani took office, Iran released noted activist Nasrin Sotoudeh on September 18. The government did not make a formal announcement, but Rouhani’s office retweeted reports claiming that seven other female…
Youth in Iran Part 4: Crazy for Sports
August 20, 2013
Garrett Nada Faced with few social options or outlets to let off steam, Iran’s young have turned almost fanatically to sports. The first post-revolution generation now includes some world-class athletes—both male and female—as well as millions of diehard sports fans. Iran’s youth…
Youth in Iran Part 2: Parkour Fever
August 13, 2013
Garrett Nada Young Iranians are scaling walls, leaping staircases and flipping over benches. But they’re not running from the police. They’re practicing parkour, a blend of gymnastics, martial arts and plain old obstacle-course athletics. Participants are called traceurs, French for…
Rouhani Tweets! Change in 140-characters?
July 24, 2013
Garrett Nada Hassan Rouhani is big into Twitter. (Or at least someone in his office is.) Since his election, Iran’s new president has tweeted prolifically —in both English and Farsi – on everything from World Cup soccer to women’s rights, from nuclear negotiations to Internet…
Campaign Posters Capture Rivalries
June 12, 2013
Garrett Nada In flashy campaign art, Iran’s six presidential candidates are pulling at public heartstrings and playing on haunting moments in Iranian history to rally votes. Posters are now plastered across billboards, fences, office blocks and the sides of cars as well as on Facebook,…
Latest on the Race: Foreign Policy Split
June 7, 2013
Garrett Nada Iran’s third and final presidential debate on June 7 was by far the most heated. In often fiery exchanges, all eight candidates lashed out at their rivals, raising their voices and charging opponents with failing the revolution. The debate exposed deep divisions on how…
Latest on the Race: Debate on Culture, Women
June 6, 2013
Garrett Nada Iran’s eight presidential candidates clashed on issues of culture, personal freedoms and women’s rights at the June 5 debate. Hassan Rouhani and Mohammed Reza Aref repeatedly criticized government censorship of the internet, press and academia. They argued that…
Part II: Shiite Holy Sites in Syria
June 3, 2013
Garrett Nada Syria is home to some 50 sites holy to Shiites. Some have been badly damaged in the fighting between Syrian government forces and rebels since 2011. At least one shrine has been reportedly desecrated by Sunni extremists. Several top Iranian officials have condemned attacks…