New Articles
Report: Proposed Laws Could Restrict Women’s Reproductive and Divorce Rights
Two proposed laws could restrict women’s reproductive rights in Iran, according to a new report by Amnesty International. One law would outlaw sterilization and restrict access to information about contraception. The other would disadvantage women without children in the labor market and make it…
White House Warns Senate on Iran Bill
On March 14, the White House warned senators against passing the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015, introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN). The legislation “would potentially prevent any deal from succeeding by suggesting that Congress must vote to ‘…
UN Angle on Nuclear Deal
One of the major questions emerging about a nuclear deal with Iran is what role the United Nations might play in endorsing or codifying it in a Security Council Resolution. U.S. officials have suggested that the deal would not exactly be legally binding, referencing the 2013 U.S.-Russian framework…
Obama 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…
Photos: Soleimani in Battle for Tikrit
Iran has made no effort to hide its role in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq, most recently in Tikrit. General Qassem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Qods Force, has been directing and advising a combination of the Iraqi military and Shiite militias.…
The Test in Tikrit
Robin Wright (for The New Yorker) “Victory [in Tikrit] will not be decided on the battlefield. More important to the ultimate success of the campaign will be how Baghdad proceeds politically in Saddam’s home town—both in creating a climate where the Sunnis will not feel defeated and in using…
GOP Letter and Responses
The following series details the GOP letter to Iran’s leadership on a nuclear deal and responses from Iran, the White House and Democrats. Part I - GOP Letter on IranPart II - Iran Responds to GOP Letter Part III - White House & Democrats Respond to GOP Letter Part IV - Media Roundup on …
Yazdi Elected Assembly of Experts Chairman
On March 10, hardliner Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi (left) was elected chairman of the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s only constitutional body with the authority to appoint and dismiss the supreme leader. Yazdi won 47 out of 73 votes, defeating the more centrist Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Former President…
Part I: GOP Letter on Iran
On March 9, a group of 47 Republican senators warned Iran's leaders that a nuclear deal signed during President Barack Obama’s tenure could be revoked by the next president or modified by a future Congress. “We will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved…
Part II: Iran Responds to GOP Letter
The following are responses by Iranian officials on the GOP letter to Iran’s leadership. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali KhameneiThe letter is "the collapse of political ethics and the U.S. system's internal disintegration." "American senators officially announced the commitment will be null and void…
Part III: White House and Democrats Respond to GOP Letter
The following are responses by President Obama, administration officials and Democrats on the GOP letter to Iran’s leadership. President Barack Obama “I’m embarrassed for them. For them to address a letter to the ayatollah... who they claim is our mortal enemy, and their basic…
Part IV: Media Roundup on GOP Letter
The following is a snapshot of editorials from U.S. newspapers and media outlets on the GOP letter to Iran’s leaders. The Washington Post “Republicans fumble their chance to focus attention on an Iran deal” Congressional Republicans are trying to obstruct President Obama from…
Nuke Talks: Latest from Iran, P5+1
On March 2, deputy foreign ministers from Iran and the world’s six major powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States – resumed negotiations over Iran’s controversial nuclear program in Montreux, Switzerland. Separately, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held…
Kerry on Disappearance of Robert Levinson
On March 9, Secretary of State John Kerry asked Iran’s government 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…
Poll: Rouhani vs Ahmadinejad in 2017
A new poll by the U.S.-based Information and Public Opinion Solutions (IPOS) has found that President Hassan Rouhani (left) has the highest favorability rating of potential 2017 presidential candidates, followed by former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (right). Ahmadinejad, president from 2005 to…
Poll: Rouhani Approval Ratings Down
President Hassan Rouhani’s approval rating has fallen just below 50 percent, according to a new poll by the U.S.-based Information and Public Opinion Solutions (IPOS). The latest survey, conducted February 14-15, found that Rouhani’s approval has slipped to 49 percent from 59 percent in November…
Netanyahu Speech: Obama & Iran React
The following is a three-part series detailing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and reactions from U.S. and Iranian leaders. Part 1 - Netanyahu Speech: The TextPart 2 - Netanyahu Speech: Obama, US React Part 3 - Netanyahu Speech: Iran Reacts Netanyahu Speech: …
Netanyahu Speech: Iran Reacts
Iranian officials sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.S. Congress on March 3, in which he argued against a potential nuclear deal with Iran. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused Netanyahu of distorting reality and running a “popularity contest” in…
Nuke Talks: Kerry's Latest Remarks
On March 4, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - made progress after the latest round of nuclear negotiations in Montreux, Switzerland. But he noted that "there are still significant…
Netanyahu Speech: US Reacts
On March 3, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned against a potential nuclear deal with Iran in an address to Congress in Washington, D.C. Administration officials and several Democratic lawmakers were critical of the speech. President Barack Obama claimed that Netanyahu "has not offered any…
Netanyahu Speech: The Text
On March 3, 2015, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized a potential nuclear deal with Iran in an address to Congress in Washington, D.C. “We've been told that no deal is better than a bad deal,” he said. “Well, this is a bad deal. It's a very bad deal. We're better off without it.”…
AIPAC Conference: Officials on Iran
On March 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned attendees of the 2015 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference that Iran “vows to annihilate Israel.” If Tehran develops nuclear weapons, “it would have the means to achieve that goal,” he said in Washington, D.C…
UN Report: Human Rights Concerns in Iran
Iran failed to address key human rights issues in 2014, according to a new report from the U.N. Office of the Secretary General to the U.N. Human Rights Council. At least 500 people were executed between January and November 2014, many of whom were not given a fair trial. The report also…
Poll: Majority of Americans Back Nuke Deal
Americans broadly support direct negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program, according to a new poll by CNN and ORC International. But they are split across party lines regarding the open letter to Iran’s leaders signed by 47 Republican senators. The letter warned that a nuclear deal signed…
Senators Seek Congressional Review of Any Nuclear Deal with Iran
On February 27, U.S. Senators Bob Corker (R-TN), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a bill that would require the president to submit the text of an Iran nuclear deal to Congress for review. The act would also prohibit the Obama administration from…
Gallup: Iranians Hopeful for Nuclear Deal
Iranians are more optimistic that the ongoing nuclear talks will produce an agreement than they were in May 2013, according to a new Gallup poll. Around 70 percent of Iranians are at least "somewhat hopeful" a deal will be reached, compared to 58 percent in 2013. More than 1,000 Iranian adults were…
U.S. Media on Iran Deal
U.S. media outlets, experts, and former officials have voiced strong opinions on the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. The following is a rundown of op/eds on the nuclear talks by former U.S.…
Rouhani Appeals to Qom's Clergy
On February 25, President Hassan Rouhani addressed crowds of people in Qom, a holy city whose clergy are influential in Iranian politics. Rouhani referred to Qom’s clergy as the “backbone” of Iran. His remarks focused on the issue of sanctions in the nuclear talks between Iran and the world’s six…
Economic Trends
Garrett NadaJanuary and February The most important developments in early 2015 were Iran’s reactions to low oil prices. The price of crude oil was still hovering around $60 a barrel in February, down from $115 in June 2014. In January, Iran’s government readjusted the new budget to assume an oil…
Geneva Nuke Talks: Latest from Iran, P5+1
On Feb. 23, 2015, Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - concluded another round of talks on Iran's controversial nuclear program in Geneva. Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz…