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Iran Commemorates Soleimani Assassination
In early January, Iran marked the third anniversary of the U.S. assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Qods Force, with official speeches, commemorative rallies, major media coverage, and inflammatory threats. Soleimani, who was considered a military hero for…
Iran in 2023: Pivotal Year Ahead
In early 2023, Iran faced the greatest array of challenges since the early days of the revolution. At home, the unpopular government was dealing with enduring protests, soaring inflation, and energy shortages. Abroad, Iran was increasingly isolated over its human rights record, controversial…
U.S. Sanctions for Serious Human Rights Abuses
On December 21, the United States sanctioned Iran’s prosecutor general, four military officials and one company for the crackdown on nationwide protests that erupted in September 2022. Iranian authorities “have killed hundreds of peaceful protestors, including dozens of children, and arbitrarily…
Iran in 2022: Protests, Politics & Russian Alliance
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 were the key political events or developments in Iran in…
Iran in 2022: Cusp of Nuclear Threshold
Kelsey Davenport is the Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association.
What actions did Iran take in 2022 to advance its nuclear program? How did Iran’s nuclear capabilities change in 2022?
Iran significantly expanded its uranium enrichment program in 2022. One of the…
Iran in 2022: Volatile Economy
Henry Rome is a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, focusing on the Iranian economy, sanctions and nuclear diplomacy. Follow him @hrome2.
What was the state of Iran’s economy at the end of 2022? What were the prime challenges?
Iran’s economy was stuck in a period of…
News Digest: Week of December 19
December 19
Security: Three members of the Basij paramilitary and an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member were killed in Saravan, Sistan and Baluchistan province. State media reported that they were killed in a clash with a “terrorist group.” For years, Baluch separatists have operated in the…
Iran in 2022: U.S. Sanctions
In 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran for issues ranging from missile production to oil smuggling and from violence against protesters to drone exports to Russia. It sanctioned dozens of government officials, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the…
Iran in 2022: Quotes by Biden & Top U.S. Officials
In 2022, the Biden administration condemned Iran for advancing its nuclear program, cracking down on protesters, exporting drones to Russia, and supporting militant proxies across the Middle East. It worked with European and Middle East countries to confront the multipronged threat posed by…
New E.U. and British Sanctions on Iran
In mid-December, the European Union and Britain separately imposed punitive sanctions on dozens of Iranian security and government officials as well as state media employees for the brutal crackdown on nationwide protests ignited on September 16. The group of 28 nations, including some of the world…
U.S. Bests Iran in Wrestling World Cup
On December 11, the U.S. wrestling team won the 2022 World Cup 6-4 in a hard-fought series of individual matches with Iranian wrestlers in Coralville, Iowa. The win came two weeks after Team USA beat Iran 1-0 in soccer at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The two wins marked a reversal of sports…
U.S. Sanctions for Human Rights Abuses
On December 9, the United States sanctioned 17 Iranian law enforcement, prison, and government officials for the ongoing crackdown. “We reiterate our condemnation of Iran’s brutal acts of violence against peaceful protestors, ongoing denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and pervasive…
U.N. Bounces Iran from Women’s Rights Body
On December 14, the U.N. Economic and Social Council removed Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. The United States had submitted the motion in response to Iran’s repression of women and girls, including protesters in 2022. No country had ever been ousted from the panel before. The vote…
Whither the Reformists?
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 reformist faction—which had…
U.S. Sanctions Oil Smuggling Network
On December 8, the United States sanctioned five Turkish businessmen, an international network of 26 companies, and a tanker that smuggled oil for Iran’s Qods Force, the external operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese political party and militia backed by Tehran. The…
Harsh Sentences for Iranian Protesters
Updated: July 26, 2023
During the first four months of protests, the government steadily escalated the pace of arrests and trials as well as the severity of sentences. More than 2,400 people had been convicted of crimes by late November and at least 1,100 others had been indicted, the judiciary said. Security forces…
News Digest: Week of December 12
Updated: December 14, 2022
December 12
International: Iran’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on 13 British individuals and entities as well as 10 E.U. individuals and five entities for allegedly interfering in Iran's domestic affairs. The designated individuals included spy chiefs, defense officials and politicians.…
US: Iran Now Russia's Top Arms Source
Iran has become Russia’s “top military backer,” John Kirby of the National Security Council revealed on December 9. Iran’s decision to aid Russia in the war on Ukraine reflected the deepening strategic alliance with Moscow. Iran has provided Russia with hundreds of drones, including the Shahed-136…
Dissent Among Iran Elite Over Protests
Updated: August 30, 2023
Despite initial silence, Iran’s political elites—from former presidents to senior clerics and members of the Supreme Leader’s family—have gradually challenged the government’s repressive policies. Several called for dialogue with demonstrators and compromises on issues of personal freedoms. Others…
News Digest: Week of December 5
December 5
Security: A Revolutionary Guards Navy patrol boat attempted to blind two U.S. Navy ships, sea base platform ship USS Lewis B. Puller and guided-missile destroyer USS The Sullivans, using a spotlight at night. The Iranian boat came within 150 yards of the ships in international waters in…
U.S. Intelligence on Threats from Iran
In Congressional testimony, U.S. intelligence warned in November that Iran posed an escalating threat to the United States. Tehran is “becoming more aggressive and more capable in their nefarious activity than ever before,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Committee on Homeland…
World Cup: The Aftermath for Iran
Iran’s loss to the United States at the World Cup was splashed across the front pages of national media—both reformist and conservative—along with player apologies for failing the country and official condemnation of Iranians who rejoiced after the match. Poignant pictures captured the despair and…
Supreme Leader Khamenei on Iran’s Protests
In a lengthy speech on November 19, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplayed the nationwide protests and claimed that “orchestrators” of the “riots” had failed to mobilize many Iranians. “Those who have come out and those who are behind the scenes are far too small to be able to harm the…
World Cup: U.S. Defeats Iran
The U.S. national team defeated Iran 1-0 on November 29 in the most politically charged match at the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar. The Americans were often on the attack; they took 12 shots while the Iranians only took four. But the game was a nail-biter right until the end. “That was stressful. I…
U.N. Rights Council to Investigate Iran’s Crackdown
On November 24, the U.N. Human Rights Council voted to create a fact-finding investigation into Iran’s bloody crackdown on protestors. The mission “will help ensure that those engaged in the ongoing violent suppression of Iranian people are identified and their actions documented,” Secretary of…
News Digest: Week of November 28
Updated: November 30, 2022
November 28
Human Rights: Iran “will have no cooperation” with a U.N. investigation into the crackdown on protesters, foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said. Member states had voted on November 24 to create the fact-finding mission, which Iran alleged was politicized. “We have specific…
New U.S. Sanctions Over Iran Crackdown
On November 23, the United States sanctioned three Iranian security officials for the ongoing crackdown on protesters. “The Iranian regime is reportedly targeting and gunning down its own children, who have taken to the street to demand a better future,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for…
Iran's Protests and the World Cup
Updated: November 29, 2022
Iran’s long-anticipated presence at the 2022 World Cup was repeatedly caught up in the protests sweeping all 31 provinces back home. The team went into the soccer tournament widely criticized for its lack of public support for the demonstrations, even though three players had been outspoken. “Shame…
History: U.S.-Iran at the World Cup
Iran and the United States face off at the World Cup in Doha, Qatar on November 29. The match coincided with escalating tensions over failed diplomacy to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran’s drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, and the government crackdown on months of protests. The match…
News Digest: Week of November 21
Updated: November 23, 2022
November 21
Sports: Members of Iran’s national soccer team remained silent during their national anthem before their match against England’s team at the World Cup in Qatar. The move was widely interpreted as an act of solidarity with protestors in Iran. Team captain Ehsan Hajsafi had offered…