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On February 25, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced his resignation in an Instagram post. “With good wishes on the occasion of the blessed birth of Her Holiness Fatima Zahra, may the peace of Allah be upon her, the day of mothers and the day of women, I am very thankful for the…

On February 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the United States of “exporting insecurity” to the Middle East and trying to foment regime change in his country. In a defiant address at the Munich Security Forum, he condemned Washington for reimposing sanctions and withdrawing…

Pakistan has spent decades striking a delicate balance between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the self-appointed vanguards of Sunni and Shiite Islam, respectively. Pakistan is predominantly Sunni, but it also has a substantial Shiite population and shares a nearly 600-mile long border with Iran. Since 2015…

On February 13-14, the United States co-hosted a conference in Warsaw, Poland on peace and security in the Middle East. Foreign ministers from more than 60 countries in Europe and the Middle East participated. Iran was a major topic. In a keynote address, Vice President Mike Pence said, “As Iran’s…

In two speeches, Vice President Mike Pence urged European countries to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal. “The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal and join with us as we bring the economic and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the…

On February 14, the State Department issued a statement on the eight-year anniversary of the house arrest of three Iranian opposition leaders. “We condemn the continued house arrest of these three individuals, which contradicts Iran’s own laws and its international obligations, including those…

On February 11, Iranians took to the streets across the country to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. The popular uprising, led by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, led to the ouster of Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi and ended centuries of dynastic rule. Each year, Iranians…

The majority of Iranians say the economy is bad and is getting worse, according to a new survey by IranPoll, an independent research company based in Toronto, Canada. Some 85 percent of those interviewed said European countries were “moving slowly” to trade and invest with Iran because of U.S.…

Iran’s economy has faced recurring existential crises since the 1979 revolution. Tehran suffered the biggest shocks from the sapping costs of an eight-year war with Iraq, between 1980 and 1988, and the wave of international sanctions imposed in 2012. During less volatile years, Iran’s economic…

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of Iran’s revolution, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned Iran’s foreign and domestic policies. “Even your president, Hassan Rouhani, admits to the regime’s 40 years of failure. It didn’t need to be this way, but your ruling regime has always prioritized…

Iranian society has undergone dramatic changes since the 1979 revolution. The population has doubled. The Islamic Republic has improved education. Illiteracy has been virtually eradicated. People are living longer. • Education: In 1976, the adult literacy rate was 37 percent. In 2016, it was 86…

Iran’s politics have changed dramatically – from a one-party system heavily dominated by clerics to a multi-party system dominated by secular politicians – during its first four decades. Iran’s parliament is illustrative. The key trends:    Clerics in Parliament: In 1980, clerics held 61 percent…

The original co-authors of "The Iran Primer" book reflect on the eve of the 40th anniversary of Iran’s revolution. Their comments cover the diversity of analysis.  Photo by Bokopix via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow and Director of The Intelligence Project, The Brookings…

President Hassan Rouhani Iranian leaders have given defiant speeches, condemning U.S. sanctions and touting the country’s resilience, in the run-up to the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. “The biggest economic pressure in the past 40 years on the Iranian nation has been plotted [by the…

On February 3, President Donald Trump said that U.S. forces departing Syria would shift to bases in Iraq to “watch” Iran, in an interview with CBS news. Iraqi leaders were quick to condemn his remark. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hassan Karim al Kaabi called the Trump’s comment a “blatant and overt…

Iran unveiled two new missiles and an underground missile factory during celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution. On February 2, Defense Minister Amir Hatami presented the Hoveizeh surface-to-surface missile, an addition to the Soumar family of cruise missiles with a…

On February 2, the Council of the European Union, which consists of member states’ foreign ministers, released an outline of its views on Iran and related issues. The ministers reiterated their support for the nuclear deal and recognized that Iran had fulfilled its commitments. But they also…

On January 31, Britain, France, and Germany announced the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for European companies to facilitate trade with Iran. The entity is formally named the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). The “exact method INSTEX uses will be the first…

On January 29, Director of National Intelligence Daniel R. Coats released the annual "Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community." At a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Coats and his counterparts from the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency,…

On January 8, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo embarked on a Middle East tour. He reassured U.S. allies that Washington is a reliable partner in addressing the region’s many problems. The visit followed President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on December 19 that he was pulling U.S. troops out…

On January 15, Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi announced that Iran's effort to launch a satellite failed. The rocket carrying the Payam satellite never reached the requisite speed to get into orbit. The United States had warned Iran against pursuing three planned rocket…

The United States and major European powers reacted differently to the new U.N. report on Iran’s missile program and implementation of the nuclear deal. In a speech at the United Nations on Dec. 12, 2018, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo called on the world body to impose tougher sanctions on…

On December 6, the U.N. Secretary General reported that Iran has continued to implement its nuclear-related commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In the sixth report on compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231, António Guterres touted the JCPOA as a “major…

By Gerald Feierstein   What are the prospects for peace in war-torn Yemen? How important is Iran to the peace process? Restoring security and stability in Yemen is going to be a long-term process. Successful peace negotiations — including a ceasefire and confidence-building measures — can only be…

On December 1, the United States condemned Iran’s test of a medium range ballistic missile reportedly capable of striking parts of Europe and anywhere in the Middle East. “This test violates U.N. Security Council resolution 2231 that bans Iran from undertaking ‘any activity related to ballistic…

On December 3, six families of dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran published an open letter calling on the international community to take action on behalf of their loved ones. “We believe that the Iranian authorities have little incentive to end the cruel and horrific practice of hostage…

On November 29, Brian Hook, the State Department’s special representative for Iran, unveiled what he called new evidence of Iranian weapons proliferation. He delivered a briefing in front of a display of missiles, rockets, drones and other equipment. Some of the items were transferred to the…

On November 22, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) alleged that Iran failed to declare all its chemical weapons to the group. “The United States is also concerned that Iran is pursuing Central Nervous System-Acting Chemicals for offensive purposes…

On November 20, the U.S Treasury sanctioned six individuals and three entities for providing millions of barrels of oil to the Syrian regime. The Office of Foreign Assets Control said that Russia facilitated the delivery of Iranian oil to Syria. The Assad government then transferred money to the…

On November 24, President Hassan Rouhani called Israel a “cancerous tumor” and a “fake regime” established by Western powers. At the annual Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Rouhani also called on the world’s Muslims to unite against the Jewish state and the United States. Other Iranian leaders…