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Media Ban on Khatami
On February 16, judiciary spokesperson Gholamhossein Mohseni-Eje’i confirmed that former President Mohammad Khatami’s name has been banned from mention in the media. Mohseni-Eje’i did not name Khatami, president from 1997 to 2005, by name, instead referring to him as “the leader of the reformist…
Report: Saudi-Iranian 'Cold War' in Yemen
Regional competition between Iran and Saudi Arabia has aggravated unrest in Yemen, according to a new publication by Peter Salisbury from the Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of using the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite group based in northern Yemen, as a…
UN: Questions Remain on Nuclear Research
On February 19, the U.N. nuclear watchdog reported that Iran has yet to provide explanations regarding possible military dimensions of its nuclear program. Tehran was due to address two practical measures by late August, which could help determine if it carried out explosive tests and other…
Khamenei: Iran Can Resist Sanctions
On February 18, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians to “resist sanctions” and not allow Western countries to place conditions on the country's nuclear program. In a public speech, Khamenei warned that Iran can impose sanctions on the West if necessary. “Iran has the world’s largest…
U.S. Calls for Release of Opposition Leaders
On February 14, the U.S. State Department called for the immediate release of 2009 presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi. The former speaker of parliament and former prime minister, as well as Mousavi’s wife, have been under house arrest for four…
Rivals on Women & Minorities: ISIS v Iran
Cameron Glenn and Garrett Nada The contrast between the Islamic State and the Islamic Republic is especially visible in their treatment of women and minorities, evident in ISIS documents and Iranian laws. On paper, both discriminate. But in Iran, women and ethnic or religious minorities generally…
Rival Islamic Leaders: ISIS v Iran
Cameron Glenn and Garrett NadaThe caliph in the Islamic State and the Supreme Leader in Iran hold absolute authority in both political and religious realms with few, if any, real checks on their power. Both ISIS and Iran emphasize scholarship and piety as qualifications for their leaders. The…
Rival Political Visions: ISIS v Iran
Cameron Glenn and Garrett Nada Despite their similar names, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria represent two distinct visions of an ideal state based on the faith. They have more differences than similarities in politics, economic life, culture and, most of all,…
Rival Islamic States: ISIS v Iran
Cameron Glenn and Garrett NadaThe Islamic world is rife with political diversity, from ultraconservative monarchies to new democracies. But two places reflect the escalating rivalry over an ideal Islamic state in the 21st century: The Islamic Republic of Iran, predominantly Shiite, was born of…
Iran versus ISIS: Four-Part Series
The following is a four-part series comparing the Islamic State and the Islamic Republic of Iran. On the surface, the two have the same goal – a pure, idealized government based on Sharia law. Yet the two Islamic systems differ in political systems, economic life, culture and, most of all, the role…
Revolution I: Rouhani's Speech
On February 11, President Hassan Rouhani addressed a crowd in Tehran’s Azadi Square, commemorating the 36th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. In his remarks, he praised Iran’s blend of religion and electoral politics, claiming that “the roots and principles of the revolution remain…
Revolution II: People in the Streets
On February 11, Iranians celebrated the 36th 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 monarchical rule. One of the highlights of the annual commemoration is an…
Leader: Iran Could Accept Fair Nuclear Deal
On February 8, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared support for a compromise on Iran’s controversial nuclear program that would swiftly lift international sanctions. “This means that one side would not end up getting all it wants,” he said in a speech to air force commanders. But Khamenei…
Nuke Talks: Latest from Iran, P5+1
Iran and the world’s six major powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States – held a series of nuclear talks in January and February. Negotiators offered few details, but some officials remained optimistic. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two sides had made “…
Obama: U.S. Working to Bring Abedini Home
On February 5, President Barack Obama said that the United States is doing everything it can to bring Pastor Saeed Abedini, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen held captive in Iran, home to Idaho. In January 2013, Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison after working with Iranian Christians to set…
Iran’s Discriminatory Nationality Law
Semira Nikou Iran is one of 27 countries that still restrict citizenship rights of women. Citizenship in Iran, codified before the 1979 revolution, is a blood right flowing from fathers to children. But Iranian women cannot automatically pass on their citizenship. The exclusive right of…
Iran & Region IV: Lebanon's Hezbollah
Nicholas BlanfordLebanon’s main Islamist party has undergone a profound transformation over the past three decades. Once associated with suicide bombings and hostage-taking, Hezbollah has steadily evolved from an underground movement in 1982 to the dominant political player in Lebanon in 2015.…
After Flap, Iran Appoints New U.N. Envoy
Iran has nominated career diplomatic Gholamali Khoshroo as its U.N. envoy, according to state media. The appointment comes ten months after the United States rejected Iran’s first candidate, Hamid Aboutalebi, for his alleged involvement in the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and 444-day…
Kirk, Menendez Introduce New Sanctions Bill
On January 27, Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015, legislation that would automatically impose sanctions on Iran if talks with the world’s six major powers fail to yield a deal by June 30. President Barack Obama, however, has…
Democrats: Dueling Moves on Iran Sanctions
On January 26, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) introduced a resolution in support of ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the world’s six major powers. It also “affirms that support for the prompt reimposition of suspended sanctions as well as the imposition of additional…
Iran & Region V: Yemen's Houthis
On January 22, Yemeni president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned under pressure from the Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite movement that has been fighting Yemen’s Sunni-majority government since 2004. The Houthis have controlled the capital city Sanaa (left) since September 2014. In Yemen, Iran is widely seen…
Iran & Region III: Goals in Syria
Alireza Nader What is Iran doing in Syria? How important is Iran in the ground war? Iran is playing a crucial role in buttressing President Bashar Assad, through military advice, provision of weapons, and funding of the cash-strapped Syrian government. The Assad regime might not survive without…
Iran & the Region: Four-Part Series
The following is a four-part series exploring Iran's interests and activities in the Middle East.Iran & Region I: Search for StabilityIran & Region II: Salvaging IraqIran & Region III: Goals in SyriaIran & Region IV: Lebanon's HezbollahIran & Region I: Search for StabilityNasser…
Iran & Region II: Salvaging Iraq
Alireza Nader What is Iran doing in Iraq? How important is Iran in the ground war against ISIS? The Iranian government, particularly the Revolutionary Guards, is playing a huge role in helping the Iraqi security forces fight the Islamic State, especially in Diyala. The Guards are working with…
Iran & Region I: Search for Stability
Nasser Hadian What is Iran’s role in the region? For at least the next 10 or 15 years, the orienting principle of Iran’s foreign policy should be stability. Instability in neighboring countries can create security problems for Iran, so the overarching objective is to act as a stabilizing force…
European Ministers: Avoid New Sanctions
On January 21, four foreign ministers warned against passing new sanctions legislation in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “Introducing new hurdles at this critical stage of the negotiations, including through additional nuclear-related sanctions legislation on Iran, would jeopardize our efforts…
Supreme Leader: Letter to American Youth
In reaction to the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Iran’s supreme leader appealed to American and European youth to not blindly accept stereotypes of Muslims. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged them to study Islam for themselves in the following unusual letter. I’m addressing you, the youth, because I find…
Congress: Heated Debate on New Sanctions
Several U.S. lawmakers have challenged the Obama administration’s approach to nuclear talks with Iran. President Obama "expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran," House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told Republicans on January 21. "Two words: Hell no...We're going…
State of the Union: Obama on Iran
On January 20, President Barack Obama warned Congress that he would veto any new sanctions bill that “threatens to undo” diplomatic progress with Iran. New sanctions would risk “alienating America from its allies” and push Iran to ramp up its nuclear program, he argued. The following is an excerpt…
Geneva Nuke Talks: Limited Progress
On January 18, the world’s six major powers and Iran made limited progress in talks on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. Representatives from Iran and the so-called P5+1 countries —Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States— met after five days of diplomacy that included…