New Articles
U.S. Imposes New Shipping Sanctions
On June 20, 2011, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned ten shipping companies and three individuals affiliated with Iran's national shipping line. The official statement is below: Continuing efforts to target the financial underpinnings of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL…
New U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur for Iran
Semira N. Nikou On June 17, the U.N. Human Rights Council appointed Ahmed Shaheed, former Maldives foreign minister (2005-07), as the new special rapporteur to Iran. Shaheed had resigned from the foreign ministry in 2007 to protest the Maldives government’s failure to…
Iran's New Satellite Capability
Michael Elleman
As part of an ambitious plan to expand its space program, Iran claims to have launched its own satellite into orbit on June 15. It is the second satellite the Islamic republic has put into space.
The new 15.3kg satellite, dubbed the Rasad-1 (Observation-1), is designed to take…
Iran’s Nuclear Program in 2011: Key Findings and Resources
David Albright and Andrea Stricker Throughout 2011, the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has closely followed the Iranian nuclear crisis, including Iran’s technical advancements, setbacks, controversy over possible military dimensions to its nuclear program…
Clinton on Iran’s Election Anniversary
On June 14, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement on repression in Iran and Syria to mark the second anniversary of the disputed 2009 presidential election: Two years ago this week, Iranian citizens went to the polls in the hopes of expressing their democratic rights…
IMF Assesses Iran’s Economy
Following a visit to Tehran in May and June 2011, the International Monetary Fund issued an assessment of Iran’s economy: The mission reviewed recent economic developments and revised its macroeconomic estimates and projections in light of new data and discussions with the…
Six World Powers Statement on Iran
On June 9, the world’s six major powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States—issued the following statement on Iran’s nuclear program to the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. It was read by Ambassador Glyn Davies, the U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic…
New Treasury Sanctions for Human Rights Abuses
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on new sanctions: In June 2009, the world watched as Iran’s security forces violently suppressed thousands of Iranians who were calling for transparency and accountability in their government. Nearly two years after Iran’s brave citizens took to the…
Interview with Maziar Bahari
Semira N. Nikou Maziar Bahari is an Iranian Canadian journalist and film maker who was imprisoned in Iran between June and October 2009. He is the co-author of a new book, "And then they Came for Me," which chronicles Bahari's 118-day long solitary confinement in Iran's notorious Evin…
The Green Movement: Past and future
Abbas MilaniThe opposition Green Movement emerged spontaneously two years ago to challenge results of the disputed 2009 presidential election. What is the status of the movement today?The Green Movement was then, as it is now, part of Iran’s more inclusive and enduring democratic movement. Its…
Iran’s deepening internal battle
Farideh Farhi Two years after his controversial re-election, President Ahmadinejad faces mounting pressure from the supreme leader, parliament and the Guardian Council on several issues. Is his presidency really in jeopardy?President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may or may not survive his second term.…
Escalating sanctions on Iran
Patrick ClawsonWhat do the latest U.S. and European sanctions say about international pressure on Iran? In May, the European Union imposed sanctions on more than 100 individuals and companies tied to Iran's nuclear program, while the United States sanctioned seven foreign companies involved in…
U.S. calls death of activist “unfathomable”
The State Department issued a statement June 2 on the death of Iranian Activist Haleh Sahabi at her father’s funeral: We condemn the killing of Iranian activist Haleh Sahabi in the strongest possible terms. Eyewitness and reliable accounts of Haleh Sahabi's death yesterday at her…
RAND: Iran's Balancing Act in Afghanistan
Alireza Nader The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to provide measured support to Taliban insurgents battling U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. However, Iran also maintains close and constructive relations with the same Afghan central government that is battling Taliban forces.…
U.S. Sanctions Seven Companies
Seven companies have been sanctioned under the amended Iran Sanctions Act. The following is a State Department statement issued on May 24, 2011: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has decided to impose sanctions on seven companies under the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) of 1996, as…
Key Excerpts from Amnesty International Report
The following is an excerpt from Amnersty International's "State of Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa, January to mid-April 2011" report: The authorities maintained severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Sweeping controls on domestic and…
FACT SHEET: Holding Iran Accountable
The following is a State Department statement issued on May 19, 2011: President Obama remains committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and has successfully built an international coalition to hold Iran accountable on its illicit nuclear program. With our P5+1 partners, we…
The Impact of Syria’s Unrest on Iran
Jubin Goodarzi What role is Iran playing in the Syrian political crisis?In April, the United State claimed that Tehran has been helping Damascus put down the Syrian uprising. Two rounds of U.S. sanctions on Syria for human rights abuses have since named Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) for…
Changes to Iranian Student Visas
The following is a statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: I am very pleased to announce a big step forward in the Obama Administration’s support of the Iranian people. Under our old visa policy, Iranian students and exchange visitors were eligible for visas that lasted…
Excerpt on Iran from President Obama’s Mideast Speech May 19, 2011
The United States opposes the use of violence and repression against the people of the region. We support a set of universal rights. Those rights include free speech; the freedom of peaceful assembly; freedom of religion; equality for men and women under the rule of law; and the right to…
The Arab Spring’s Impact on U.S.-Iran Rivalry
Ellen Laipson How has the Arab spring changed the strategic environment for U.S.-Iran relations?Turbulence in Arab politics will have both direct and indirect effects on U.S.-Iran relations. The uncertain outcomes–specifically which countries other than Tunisia, Egypt and possibly Yemen undergo…
Iran: The Quiet Before the Storm
Alireza Nader The Arab uprisings have dramatically transformed the Middle East. But Iran, a country of pressing concern for the United States, has remained relatively calm. Street protests following the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings quickly fizzled. And the Iranian government has…
State Department Testimony: Iran’s Growing Human Rights Abuses
The following is an excerpt on Iran’s human rights violations from a joint statement by Michael H. Posner, Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and Philo L. Dibble, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, in testimony…
2011 Report: U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
The following are excerpts from the annual report released April 28, 2011: The government of Iran continues to engage in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including prolonged detention, torture, and executions based primarily or entirely upon the…
Is the Political Crisis Over?—Part III
Semira N. Nikou Iran’s political crisis over Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi may be over, but the drama over presidential chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei is not. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has now accepted the supreme leader’s instructions to keep the…
Widely Diverse Iranian Views on bin Laden’s Death
Semira N. Nikou In widely diverse responses, Iran discounted Osama bin Laden’s death while at the same time calling for a faster U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan since the pretext for going to war was eliminated. But officials and media generally did not mourn bin Laden’s passing. Iran’s…
Rand Survey: Iran on the U.S., Nukes and the Economy
Alireza Nader The RAND Corporation conducted a phone survey of Iranian public opinion in order to gauge Iranian attitudes on critical issues affecting U.S. interests. Respondents constituted a nationally representative sample of 1,002 members of the Iranian public, age 18 and older, who…
Report on Internet Freedom in Iran 2011
Freedom House Since the protests that followed the disputed presidential election of June 12, 2009, the Iranian authorities have waged an active campaign against internet freedom, employing extensive and sophisticated methods of control that go well beyond simple content filtering.…
Iranian and Saudi Competition in the Gulf
Anthony H. Cordesman Saudi Arabia and the United States may not share the same political system and culture, but they do share broad strategic interests. Both countries must now deal with Iran in context of the arc of political instability that extends from Pakistan to Morocco—and is of…
Iran Media Splits over Intelligence Chief--Part II
Semira N. Nikou The Iranian leadership split over intelligence chief Heidar Moslehi has spilled over into the media, which has offered widely diverse accounts of his reported resignation—and the political repercussions. The scandal became public on April 17 when President…