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Rouhani in Oman to Boost Trade, Gulf Ties
On March 12, President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Oman for his first official visit to an Arab country since his August inauguration. The primary aim of the two-day trip was to expand economic ties between the two countries and ease tensions with other Gulf states. “Iran extends a hand…
Zarif and Ashton: Nuke Deal Prospects
At a press conference on March 9, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton emphasized their commitment to securing a nuclear agreement before July 2014. The six-month deadline that the world’s six major powers and Iran agreed on can be…
EU’s Ashton on Landmark Visit to Iran
E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton arrived in Tehran on March 8 for a two-day visit—the first visit by an E.U. high representative since 2008. The primary aim of the trip was to discuss new opportunities for improving Iran’s relationship with the European Union. Ashton discussed…
Kerry on Disappearance of Robert Levinson
On March 9, Secretary of State Kerry asked Iran 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 working as…
Centrifuges: Key to Final Nuclear Deal
David Albright and Andrea Stricker In any nuclear deal, Iran will have to limit the number of centrifuges it uses to enrich uranium, a process that produces fuel for both peaceful nuclear energy and the world’s deadliest weapon. But the exact number is likely to be one of the most…
Realistic Options for Final Nuclear Deal
A final nuclear deal that satisfies both Iran and the world’s six major powers will require hard compromises on five key issues, according to a brief from the Arms Control Association. “If either side pushes unrealistic requirements on the other side, the chances for a negotiated…
Khamenei Urges Action on Environment
On March 5, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei urged government agencies to coordinate their response to Iran’s pressing environmental challenges. “If you do not act decisively, some people will continue to take advantage of the situation [and continue polluting],” he said in an address…
US General on Iran: Challenge & Opportunity
On March 5, U.S. Central Command General Lloyd Austin III cited countering “malign Iranian influence” as one of 10 priority efforts for 2014 in his statement to the House Armed Services Committee. But he also noted the “unprecedented opportunity” for diplomatic talks between Iran and the…
Israeli Voices on Iran Part 1: Hawks
On March 4, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world powers to have Iran “fully dismantle its nuclear capabilities” in his address to the annual American Israeli Public Affairs Committee conference. Israel is the most skeptical country about diplomacy to ensure Iran does…
Israeli Voices on Iran Part 2: Doves
Israel does not speak with one voice on Iran. Several politicians and current and former intelligence officials have broken with the government’s largely hawkish view of Iran since President Hassan Rouhani took office in August 2013. President Shimon Peres has expressed willingness to “…
Kerry: Time to Seize Diplomatic Moment
On March 2 and 3, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Secretary of State John Kerry defended the Obama administration’s commitment to solve the Iranian nuclear dispute diplomatically at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference. “Those who say strike [Iran’s nuclear…
House Leaders Pen Letter to Obama on Iran
On March 3, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA, left) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (MD, right) released a letter expressing grave concern that “Iran's industrial-scale uranium enrichment capability and heavy water reactor being built at Arak could be used for the development of…
UN Watchdog: Iran Implementing Nuke Deal
On March 3, the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s director general reported that Iran has implemented the six measures contained in the interim nuclear agreement. “The measures implemented by Iran, and the further commitments it has undertaken, represent a positive step forward, but much remains to be…
Obama: Nothing to Lose from Nuke Talks
On February 27, President Barack Obama told Bloomberg View that the world’s six major powers have nothing to lose from nuclear talks with Iran. If the two sides fail to agree, “the worst that will have happened is that we will have frozen their program for a six-month period. We’ll have much…
Gallup:Iran No Longer Number One Enemy
Half as many Americans view Iran as the United States’ greatest enemy as did two years ago, according to a new Gallup poll. Some 20 percent of Americans polled see China as the top U.S. enemy. About 16 percent of Americans see Iran as the greatest enemy. The same amount considers North…
State Dept: 2013 Human Rights Report on Iran
On February 27, the State Department released its annual country reports on human rights practices. The following are excerpts from the Iran chapter. Executive Summary Despite high popular participation in the country’s June 14 presidential election, candidate vetting conducted by…
Report: Iran Media Heavily Restricted
Iran remains one of the world’s most restrictive countries in terms of media freedom, according to the 2014 World Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders. The report noted that at the end of 2013, “Iran continued to be one of the world’s biggest prisons for media personnel, with 50…
Rouhani Tweets: Economy, Nuke Negotiations
President Hassan Rouhani discussed Iran’s domestic and foreign policy challenges in several statements, interviews and speeches during February 2014. On the economy, Rouhani predicted new growth from foreign investment in anticipation of sanctions relief for Iran's cooperation on the…
US Briefs Israel on Iran Nuke Talks
On February 22, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman (left) assured Israeli journalists that Washington is “clear-eyed about the enormous challenges that lay ahead” in final nuclear talks with Iran. The world’s six major powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia…
Vienna Talks: New Nuke Deal Framework
On February 20, Iran and the world’s six major powers agreed on a framework for comprehensive talks on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. “We have identified all of the issues we need to address in reaching a comprehensive and final agreement,” E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine…
UN Report: Iran’s Uranium Stockpile Shrunk
Iran’s stockpile of higher-enriched uranium has shrunk significantly for the first time in four years, according to a new report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that Tehran has been meeting its commitments to the November 2013…
Ominous Divide : Shiite Iran v Sunni Gulf
Frederic Wehrey What is the current state of Sunni-Shiite tension in the Gulf? How has it changed over the last 15 years? Sectarian tensions have become a major part of political life in the Gulf Arab states, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. Shiites in each state…
Political Cartoons I: The Arabs and Iran
The following political cartoons reflect the Arab world’s growing alarm over the potential for progress on Iran’s nuclear program. The Gulf sheikdoms especially fear that a diplomatic deal will allow rival Iran to shed its pariah status and reemerge as a regional powerhouse — to their…
Political Cartoons II: Iran and the Arabs
The following political cartoons illustrate Iranian views of Arab reactions to progress on solving the nuclear dispute. Many Iranians viewed the Geneva nuclear agreement as a victory for Tehran and a setback for the Gulf states. An Arab representing the Gulf…
Vienna Talks Preview: U.S. on Challenges
On February 17, Obama administration officials outlined challenges facing upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and the world’s six major powers — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States. The parties are slated to meet in Vienna on February 18. “It’s probably as…
US Calls for Release of Iran Opposition Leaders
On February 14, the U.S. State Department urged Iran’s government to release of former presidential candidates and Green Movement opposition leaders. Mir Hossein Mousavi (left) and Mehdi Karroubi (right) —a former prime minister and former speaker of parliament—remain under house arrest for…
Report: Understanding Iran’s New Leadership
President Hassan Rouhani’s election has provided an opening for improved relations between Tehran and the West, according to a new report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Cornelius Alexander argues that Iran’s new, more conciliatory approach to solving the nuclear…
IMF Report: Iran’s Economy Weak
Government mismanagement, rampant inflation and international sanctions have taken a heavy toll on Iran’s economy, according to a new study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Martin Cerisola, Assistant Director for the Middle East and Central Asia Department, visited Tehran from…
Members of Congress Support Iran Diplomacy
More than 100 members of the U.S. House of Representatives have signed a bipartisan letter supporting diplomacy with Iran on its controversial nuclear program. They sent the letter to President Barack Obama just days before negotiations on a final deal are set to begin in Vienna.…
A Final Nuclear Deal: Getting from Here to There with Iran
Joe Cirincione The stakes could not be higher—or the issues tougher—as the world’s six major powers and Iran launch talks February 18 on final resolution of the Iranian nuclear crisis. The goal “is to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure…