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Iran on Nuclear Deal: “Nothing Has Happened”

On April 15, Valiollah Seif, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, said that “almost nothing” has happened since the nuclear deal was implemented in January. “Unless serious efforts are made by our partners to make the JCPOA work, in my view they have not honored their obligations,” he said during…

Treasury on Outstanding Iran Issues

On April 14, the United States and Iran held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the annual spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew met with Iranian Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif. The United States needs to deliver on its obligations…

US Report: Iran's Human Rights Abuses

Iran's most significant human rights issue is the restriction of civil liberties, according to the State Department's 2015 Country Report on Human Rights Practices. The report also criticized Iran's government for a wide range abuses, including cruel punishments, arbitrary violations of privacy,…

Arab Youth Survey: Iranian Influence Rising

For the third year in a row, a greater percentage of Arab youth have named Iran as their country’s biggest ally, according to the eighth annual ASDA’A Burson Marsteller Arab Youth Survey. In 2012 and 2013, only one percent of youth in 16 countries said Iran was their country’s biggest ally,…

Karroubi's Letter to Rouhani

On April 9, former presidential candidate and opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi published an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani asking for a court hearing. Karroubi, along with former candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, has been under house arrest since 2011 for leading Green Movement protests after…

Amnesty Report: Executions Rise in Iran

In 2015, Iran carried out at least 977 executions, according to a new report by Amnesty International. The organization estimates that at least 577 executions took place in addition to the 400 acknowledged by Iranian authorities – a 31 percent increase compared to 2014. China carried out the most…

US & Iran Clash on Nuclear Deal Compliance

Since late March, U.S. and Iranian officials have accused each other of taking actions that undermine the nuclear deal. On April 1, President Barack Obama accused Iran of not following the “spirit” of the agreement by engaging in test launches of ballistic missiles on March 8 and 9. Chief of Staff…

Economic Trends: February and March

Cameron Glenn In February and March, Iran began reaping the economic benefits of the nuclear deal that was implemented in January. Following the lifting or suspension of E.U., U.S. and U.N. sanctions, the Islamic Republic hosted trade delegations, inked lucrative deals, and boosted oil exports to 2…

Senate Hearing: Progress on Nuclear Deal

On April 5, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on progress in implementing the nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers. Thomas Shannon, the State Department’s Under Secretary for Political Affairs, provided testimony. The following are excerpts of his remarks…

US Navy Seizes Iranian Arms Shipment

On April 4, the U.S. Navy announced that the USS Sirocco had seized an Iranian arms shipment in the Arabian Sea on March 28, likely bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen. Iran is widely accused of backing the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite movement that has been fighting Yemen’s Sunni-majority government since…

Iran Reacts to Ballistic Missile Sanctions

Iranian leaders declared that the Islamic Republic will continue its ballistic missile program in spite of new U.S. sanctions. The sanctions, enacted on March 24, targeted two Iranian companies for supporting Iran’s ballistic missile program. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that…

Obama on Iran at Nuclear Security Summit

On April 1, President Barack Obama said that the nuclear deal has “achieved a substantial success” during a meeting with leaders from the world’s six major powers on the sidelines of the 4th Nuclear Security Summit. But Obama also claimed in remarks to the press that Iran has undermined the "spirit…

Poll: Iranian Opinions on Rouhani, Elections

The majority of Iranians hold favorable views of President Hassan Rouhani and voted for his supporters in the February elections for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts, according to a new poll by the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM), working in conjunction with…

US Indicts Iranians Suspected of Cyberattacks

On March 24, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment against seven Iranian computer experts suspected of cyberattacks on American entities between 2011 and 2013. The alleged hackers targeted 46 American financial institutions, disrupting services and disabling bank websites. One of them…

US Imposes Sanctions Over Missile Program

On March 24, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned two Iranian companies for supporting Tehran’s ballistic missile program. It also blacklisted two British businessmen, two entities based in the United Kingdom and two entities based in the United Arab Emirates for helping an Iranian airline…

U.S. Presidential Candidates on Iran

Updated: September 27, 2016
The following are excerpted remarks from the two candidates running for president in 2016.  Democrats Republicans Hillary Clinton   “For many years, we’ve all been rightly focused on the existential danger of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon. After all…

Part II: Khamenei, Rouhani on Nowruz

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani issued the televised statements to the Iranian people on the occasion of Nowruz, Persian New Year. Both focused on the importance of economic improvements for the coming year. Khamenei accused the United States of not fulfilling its…

Part I: Obama, Kerry on Nowruz

On March 19, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry issued the following greetings to the Iranian people for Nowruz, Persian New Year.  President Barack Obama  Secretary of State John Kerry  I am delighted to join President Obama in wishing a happy, healthy, and prosperous Nowruz…

GCC Declares Hezbollah a Terrorist Group

In March, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab League classified Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite political and military organization, as a terrorist group. Iran has provided billions of dollars of financial and operational support to Hezbollah since its creation in 1982, and Hezbollah has…

Photos: Iranians Prepare for Nowruz

On March 20, Iranians will welcome the first day of spring and the Persian New Year. Nowruz, literally “New Day,” is Iran’s most widely celebrated holiday and has its roots in ancient Persia. The holiday is celebrated for two weeks, during which government offices, banks, and schools are closed for…

US Issues New Travel Warning for Iran

On March 14, the U.S. State Department issued new guidance warning Americans to “carefully consider nonessential travel” to Iran. The warning reiterated the risk of arrest and detention of U.S. citizens, particularly dual national Iranian-Americans. The updated travel warning comes as businessman…

UN: Iran Executions Hit Two-Decade High

Iran executed nearly 1,000 prisoners in 2015, according to a new report by the U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran, Ahmed Shaheed. Some 65 percent of the executions were for drug-related offenses. The New York Times reported that Iran has reportedly not executed so many people in one…

Khamenei: Iran Yet to See Benefits from Foreign Delegations

On March 10, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told the recently elected Assembly of Experts that Iran has not yet benefited from receiving Western delegations. Dozens of trade delegations from European countries have visited Tehran since the nuclear deal was announced in July 2015. “Unless…

US Renews State of Emergency with Iran

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 Launches Ballistic Missiles, US Reacts

On March 8 and 9, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched several ballistic missiles as part of a military exercise. The variations of Ghadr, Qiam and Shahab missiles reportedly had ranges between 185 miles and 1250 miles. The launches, publicized widely by Iranian media outlets, were intended to…

US on Anniversary of Robert Levinson's Disappearance

March 9 marked nine years since Robert Levinson went missing in Iran. Levinson, a former FBI agent, disappeared on March 9, 2007, during a visit to Kish Island. Initial reports indicated that he was researching a cigarette smuggling case as a private investigator. In late 2013, his family…

Experts on What’s Next for Iranian Women

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2016, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars published views of women from across the Middle East and the United States on the status of women and prospects for this year. The recent parliamentary elections could be a game changer for…

US General on Iran in the Region

On March 8, General Lloyd J. Austin III, warned the Senate Armed Services Committee that “Iran maintains hegemonic ambitions and will continue to pose a threat to the region” through its use of proxies. The commander of U.S. Central Command also highlighted expanding Russia-Iran cooperation and…

UN: Iran Improves in Human Development

Iran has seen major improvements in human development during the past three decades, according to the U.N. Development Program’s 2015 Human Development Report. The Islamic Republic rose six places on the U.N. index in a single year, placing it in the “high human development category.” Gary Lewis, a…

Rouhani on Elections, Turnout

President Hassan Rouhani welcomed the results of February 26 elections for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts. “The time for cooperation has started,” he said at a conference. In a letter, during a cabinet meeting and in a speech, he also highlighted the high turnout and briefly commented on…