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On March 14, Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that the United States was aware of Iran’s involvement in Iraq. “We know that Iran has been engaged,” Kerry said during his remarks to the press in Sharm al Sheikh, Egypt. He also emphasized that the United States has not been directly…

On March 16, some 260 members of Iran’s parliament released a statement outlining their conditions for a nuclear deal with the world’s six major powers —Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. The top demand was the “removal of all sanctions at once.” During a press…

Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif in Lausanne, Switzerland to discuss Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. On March 16, the first day of talks, Zarif said solutions are “within reach” on certain issues while gaps remain on others. U.S. Secretary…

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Khorosan daily that there is "still one good opportunity to reach a deal” on the nuclear issue with the world’s six major powers." But if talks fail, the "U.S. miscalculation would be to blame," he warned in an interview. The following are…

Two proposed laws could restrict women’s reproductive rights in Iran, according to a new report by Amnesty International. One law would outlaw sterilization and restrict access to information about contraception. The other would disadvantage women without children in the labor market and make it…

On March 14, the White House warned senators against passing the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN). The legislation “would potentially prevent any deal from succeeding by suggesting that Congress must vote to ‘…

One of the major questions emerging about a nuclear deal with Iran is what role the United Nations might play in endorsing or codifying it in a Security Council Resolution. U.S. officials have suggested that the deal would not exactly be legally binding, referencing the 2013 U.S.-Russian framework…

The following is the full text of the White House press release and President Obama’s letter to Congress on the renewal of the national emergency with respect to Iran.   CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO IRAN   On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President…

Iran has made no effort to hide its role in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq, most recently in Tikrit. General Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Qods Force, has been directing and advising a combination of the Iraqi military and Shiite militias.…

Robin Wright (for The New Yorker) “Victory [in Tikrit] will not be decided on the battlefield. More important to the ultimate success of the campaign will be how Baghdad proceeds politically in Saddam’s home town—both in creating a climate where the Sunnis will not feel defeated and in using…

The following series details the GOP letter to Iran’s leadership on a nuclear deal and responses from Iran, the White House and Democrats. Part I - GOP Letter on IranPart II - Iran Responds to GOP Letter Part III - White House & Democrats Respond to GOP Letter Part IV - Media Roundup on …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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: …

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…

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…

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…

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.”…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…