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Iran Unveils New Ballistic Missile
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards unveiled a new ballistic missile on February 9. State media said that the missile, the Khaibar Shekan, had a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles), which could put its enemy Israel – as well as many U.S. bases in the region – well within its range. Iran’s western border…
Khamenei on Nuclear Program, Talks
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei welcomed efforts by Iranian diplomats to get U.S. sanctions lifted as part of talks on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. Negotiators are “working to lift the sanctions and persuade the other side, which is good,” he said on February 17 in a speech marking the…
News Digest: Week of February 14
February 14
U.S.-Israel: In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) to discuss the Iranian threat. Graham said that an agreement on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal would “fall short of the votes necessary to ratify” it in the Senate. “Consequently,…
Two Years of COVID: Iran v the World
In 2020, Iran struggled to cope with the pandemic under the weight of U.S. sanctions. It initially faced difficulties in importing vaccines and producing its own shots. But in the second half of 2021, it ramped up its vaccination campaign. As of February 2022, Iran had fully vaccinated 65 percent…
Two Years of COVID: Economic Cost
After its first cases of COVID-19 were reported in February 2020, Iran’s economy faced new challenges exacerbated by longstanding problems, including years of punitive U.S. sanctions. More than one million people – in a labor force of 27 million – lost their jobs in 2020. Inflation soared,…
Two Years of COVID: Sweeping Impact
As of February 2022, two years after the outbreak of COVID-19, Iran had fully vaccinated 64 percent of its population. Iran paid a heavy toll before reaching that point. In early 2020, the virus spread across all 31 provinces within a month. Iran became one of the world’s early epicenters and the…
Iran’s Revolution at 43: In Photos
On February 11, Iran marked the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with rallies in some 4,500 cities and towns, although most were outdoor parades of cars, motorcycles and bicycles, with few people participating on the streets. The annual commemoration normally draws tens of thousands to…
Iran’s Revolution at 43: Officials Reflect
Updated: February 11, 2022
On the 43rd anniversary of Iran’s revolution, its leaders struck a defiant tone. They criticized both past and present U.S. policy. “Today too, the Americans’ calculations have turned out to be wrong, and they are receiving a blow from a place they had never imagined before, from their own…
Iran's Revolution at 43: The Economy
Henry Rome is the deputy head of research at Eurasia Group. Follow him on Twitter at @hrome2.
What are the key drivers of Iran’s economy in 2022? And how have they changed since 1979?
Iran’s economy is driven primarily by the services sector – education, health care, communications, banking,…
Iran's Revolution at 43: Politics
Hadi Semati is a former professor in the faculty of Law and Political Science at Tehran University and a former scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is now an independent analyst.
What is the state of Iran’s revolution on its 43rd…
News Digest: Week of February 7
Updated: February 10, 2022
February 7
Regional: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett claimed that the United States endorsed Israel's right to act, kinetically or otherwise, against Iran. He cited a U.S. readout on his conversation with President Joe Biden The readout published on February 6 noted Biden’s “unwavering…
U.S. Reward for Information on Election Hacking
On February 1, the State Department offered a $10 million reward for information on two Iranian men who attempted to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian worked for Iranian cyber company Emennet Pasargad.
The United Sanctions…
Iran’s War on Its Own Athletes
Since the 1979 revolution, the Iranian government has allegedly harassed, jailed, tortured and executed dozens of athletes – including world champions and Olympians. Some have been jailed or executed for criticizing or acting against the regime. During the first decade of the Islamic Republic,…
News Digest: Week of January 31
January 31
Nuclear: A senior State Department official said that negotiators “made progress narrowing down the list of differences to just the key priorities on all sides” during the eighth round of talks in Vienna on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. “And that’s why now is a time for political…
U.S. & Iran on Eighth Round of Nuclear Talks
Updated: March 10, 2022
U.S. officials acknowledged modest progress in the eighth round of nuclear talks with Iran and the world’s major powers. The “negotiations in January were among the most intensive that we’ve had to date,” a senior State Department official said on January 31. “And we made progress narrowing down…
Iran at the 2022 Olympics
Updated: February 20, 2022
Iran entered only three athletes – two men and one woman – in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. They included:
Atefeh Ahmadi (b. 2000) – alpine skiing
Hossein Saveh Shemshaki (b. 1985) – alpine skiing
Seyed Sattar Seyd (b. 1987) – cross-country skiing
But Seyd, who was due to carry the flag at the…
U.S. Charges Five Men with Sanctions Violations
On January 27, Saber Fakih, a 46-year-old British national, pleaded guilty to violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. In federal court in Washington, D.C., Fakih said that he conspired with four other men to export an Industrial Microwave System (IMS) and counter-drone system from the United States to…
News Digest: Week of January 24
January 24
Diplomacy: Robert Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, told Reuters that restoring the 2015 nuclear deal was “very hard” to imagine “while four innocent Americans are being held hostage by Iran.” He, however, reiterated that the United States was pursuing each issue separately. “So…
South Korea Pays Iran's U.N. Dues
On January 21, South Korea paid Iran’s unpaid U.N. dues, $18.4 million, using Iranian assets frozen in Korean banks by U.S. sanctions. The Korean government cooperated with the U.S. Treasury and the United Nations to make the payment, which restores Iran’s voting rights.
Ambassador Majid Takht…
News Digest: Week of January 17
January 17
Regional: Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are supported by Iran, launched drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at targets in the United Arab Emirates, including Abu Dhabi’s airport, Dubai’s airport and an oil refinery. Two Indians and one Pakistani were killed.
U.S. Secretary of…
Raisi in Russia
On January 19, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Moscow to discuss expanding bilateral ties with Russia. In wide-ranging talks with President Vladimir Putin, Iran and Russia discussed cooperation on trade, banking, transportation, energy, regional security, and more.
“We in Iran have no…
U.S. Arrests Dual Citizen for Sanctions Violations
On January 14, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested a dual Iranian-U.S. citizen for allegedly trying to send goods and technology to the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). Kambiz Attar Kashani, age 44, allegedly “orchestrated an elaborate scheme to evade U.S. export laws and use the U.S. financial…
Human Rights Watch on Iran: Repression in 2021
Iran’s security services and judiciary carried out widespread violations of human rights in 2021, Human Rights Watch said in its annual report. Authorities cracked down on peaceful protests, imprisoned human rights activists, executed more than 250 people, and discriminated against women and…
News Digest: Week of January 10
January 9-10
Regional: On January 9, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hosted Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, in Tehran. Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran’s call for an inclusive government that reflects Afghanistan’s diverse religious and ethnic groups.…
Pentagon Links Hackers to Iranian Intelligence
On January 12, U.S. Cyber Command said that MuddyWater, a group of hackers, is part of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Since at least 2017, MuddyWater hackers have reportedly attacked government and private sector targets, such as telecommunication firms, in the United…
Iran Sanctions 51 Americans
On January 8, Iran sanctioned 51 Americans for involvement in the U.S. assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Qods Force. Soleimani was widely considered the mastermind behind Iranian interventions in the region and support for military proxies. He was killed in a…
World Bank: Iran's Slow Recovery
After a decade of little to no growth, Iran's economy grew modestly in 2020 and 2021, according to a new report by the World Bank. The economy began to rebound as Iran adapted to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccinated the majority of its population in 2021. The recovery was…
Khamenei: "No Surrender"
On January 9, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran could negotiate with its enemies but would not give into coercion. “We have never surrendered so far, and we never will,” he vowed in a televised speech commemorating the anniversary of an uprising against the monarchy in the holy…
News Digest: Week of January 3
January 3
Nuclear: The eighth round of diplomatic talks to return Iran and the United States to full compliance with the nuclear deal resumed after a brief pause for the New Year holiday. On the second day of talks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Iran “to engage in good faith.” In…
Soleimani Anniversary in the Middle East
The U.S. assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s Qods Force, was commemorated across the Middle East on the second anniversary of his death. Soleimani was widely considered the mastermind behind Iranian interventions in the region and support for militant proxies.
Under his…