New Articles
Economic Impact of a U.S.-Iran Conflict
On November 16, a new report by the Federation of American Scientists estimated that a full-scale U.S. invasion of Iran could cost $1.7 trillion. The report on the potential impact of a conflict featured six different scenarios for the global economy. In one scenario, additional U.S.…
Iran’s Post-U.S. Influence in Iraq
Interview with Ambassador Jim Jeffrey By Garrett Nada Jim Jeffrey was U.S. Ambassador to Iraq from 2010-2012. He was also ambassador to Turkey, and deputy national security advisor under the George W. Bush administration. He is now a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute…
Obama to Push for Dialogue with Iran
On November 14, President Barack Obama announced that he will push to start a dialogue between Iran and the international community in the coming months. “There should be a way in which they [the Iranians] can enjoy peaceful nuclear power while still meeting their international…
U.S. "Appalled" After Blogger Dies in Iran Prison
On November 9, the United States condemned Iran's persecution of blogger Sattar Beheshti, who died in prison reportedly after being tortured. State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland issued the following statement. We are appalled by reports that Iranian authorities…
Obama to Continue Iran’s National Emergency Status
On November 9, President Barack Obama officially notified Congress that the White House will continue the national emergency status of Iran. The following is an excerpt from his letter with links to the two formal notifications. Our relations with Iran have not yet…
The List: Iran Bans Luxury Imports
On November 8, the Islamic Republic announced a ban on over 70 types of foreign luxury goods. Iran Daily reported that the ban on imports could save the country $4 billion annually. Tehran’s foreign currency reserves are low due to international sanctions on its oil sales. Oil exports…
Will Obama Win Jumpstart Diplomacy?
Patrick Clawson Diplomacy has been on hold since the last round of talks in June between Iran and the world’s six major powers in Moscow. What are the diplomatic options after the U.S. presidential election? The talks have stalled since June. The Iranians may have been waiting to…
Iran Reacts to Obama Win
After President Obama’s reelection, Iranian officials indicated that they are open to renewed negotiations. “If it benefits us, we can hold talks with America even at the bottom of hell,” said Human Rights Council Secretary Mohammad Javad Larijani. His conservative brother, Judiciary…
U.S. Sanctions 17 Individuals and Entities
On November 8, the U.S. Treasury announced “a set of targeted sanctions against 17 individuals and entities related to the Iranian government’s human rights abuses, its support of terrorism, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).” The actions were taken according to the…
Iran Letter to U.N. on Israeli Threat
On November 7, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee sent a letter to the United Nations claiming that "Iran has never had any intention to attack any other nation." Khazaee condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent comments suggesting Israel would strike Iranian nuclear…
U.N. Nuclear Watchdog: No progress over past year
On November 5, United Nations nuclear chief Yukiya Amano announced that his agency “cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” Talks between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since November 2011 have not delivered “concrete results,” he…
Ahmadinejad Concedes to Supreme Leader
On November 1, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged to focus on Iran’s economic problems instead of domestic quarrels in a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The letter was posted on the president’s website just one day after Khamenei called public disputes treasonous.…
Khamenei Comments: Squabbling Is Treasonous
On October 31, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rebuked officials for publically squabbling to score political points. “From today to election day [for president next June], whoever willfully takes disputes to the people and uses their sentiments to provoke differences has…
Talk of Tehran: The Tumbling Economy
Helia Ighani Iran’s media is increasingly outspoken about the troubled economy, but newspapers are deeply divided over who is at fault. Editorials have become even sharper since new E.U. sanctions on Iran’s national oil, tanker, and gas companies were imposed in October…
Tribunal Blames Iran for Abuses
On October 27, the Iran Tribunal charged that the Islamic Republic was responsible “for gross violations of human rights against its citizens under the International Covenant of Civil and Political rights” during the 1980s. The document is an interim report, with a full judgment…
Judiciary Slams Ahmadinejad
On October 21, Iran’s judiciary denied President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad permission to visit his press advisor in Evin prison. Ali Akbar Javanfekr had been arrested and jailed for six months in September while Ahmadinejad was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. The court convicted…
Obama, Romney Debate Iran Policy
On October 22, President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney clashed over U.S. policy toward Iran’s nuclear program. During the final presidential debate, Obama claimed U.S.-led sanctions have brought Iran to its "weakest point economically, strategically, [and] militarily.” But…
Iran, U.S. Deny Report on Bilateral Talks
On October 20, the New York Times published an article claiming that the United States and Iran had agreed to hold bilateral talks after the U.S. presidential election. The article was allegedly based on comments by anonymous White House officials. Later that night, National Security…
Pew: More Americans Favor Firm Stand on Iran
The Pew Research Center conducted a poll on the U.S. public‘s views on the Middle East in early October. Around 56 percent of respondents favored taking a firm stand against Iran, while 35 percent preferred avoiding war. The results were released on October 18, ahead of the final…
U.S. Targets Iran-based al Qaeda Branch
On October 18, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned the deputy of an al Qaeda branch operating in Iran. Abdel Radi Saqr al Wahabi al Harbi is responsible for transferring operatives to Afghanistan or Iraq via Iran. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen said the…
Sanctions Bite, Iran Scrambles
Gary Clyde Hufbauer The European Union imposed new sanctions on Iran’s financial, energy, trade, and transport sectors on October 15. What impact will these measures have on Iran’s economy? Oil and gas account for close to 90 percent of Iran’s exports. Anything that…
U.S. Welcomes E.U. Sanctions
On October 15, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said that “Iran is under more pressure than ever before” thanks to new E.U. sanctions on its financial, trade, energy and transport sectors. At a separate press briefing, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland clarified…
E.U. Imposes New Sanctions
On October 15, the European Union targeted Iran’s nuclear program with new sanctions on its financial, energy, trade, and transport sectors. The E.U. Council condemned Tehran’s “continuing production of enriched uranium” and “flagrant violation of its international obligations.”…
Opiate Trafficking Through Iran
On October 11, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime released a report showing that Iran is the only Western/Central Asian country to make more heroin seizures every year since 2004. Over the last decade, Iran built extensive infrastructure on its 600 mile eastern border with Afghanistan…
Biden, Ryan Debate on Iran Crisis
On October 11, Vice President Joe Biden and Republican candidate Paul Ryan quarreled over how to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. During the vice presidential debate, Ryan charged that President Barack Obama’s administration is not doing enough to stop the nuclear program. But Biden…
US Tightens Sanction Loopholes
On October 9, the United States moved to tighten loopholes in its Iran sanctions. President Barack Obama’s new Executive Order will implement additional punitive measures that he signed into law on August 10, 2012. National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor said the law sanctions…
West Claims Sanctions Now Biting
After six years of international sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program, Western powers claim that their punitive measures are having a significant impact on Iran’s economy. According to U.S., European and Israeli officials, sanctions have compounded problems generated by Tehran’s…
Blame Game on Currency Crisis
Helia Ighani Iran’s currency crisis has sparked deep divisions inside the regime. Top officials have blamed others in the Tehran government for mismanagement and irresponsible fiscal policies. The regime has countered by citing international sanctions for a role in the…
IMF Forecasts Limited Sanctions Impact
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts economic growth and lower inflation for Iran in 2013, suggesting that sanctions have taken a limited toll on the economy. The IMF’s semi-annual World Economic Outlook estimates that Iran’s gross domestic product (GDP) will fall .9 percent…
Iran's Enrichment Pace
On Oct. 8, the Institute for Science and International Security warned that Iran’s uranium enrichment pace is increasing and that its breakout times are shortening. The report also notes that the United States would likely detect an Iranian dash to build a nuclear weapon. But Iran’s…