Iran Policy
This is part one of a series based on two interviews with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, a one-on-one interview with Robin Wright and another with a group of American journalists (including Wright) on July 18 in New York City. The following are excerpted remarks on the nuclear deal…
On June 18, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) fired six mid-range missiles from western Iran at ISIS targets in the Deir el-Zour region of eastern Syria. The IRGC said the missiles targeted a key arms depot, a military command center and the group’s Deir el-Zour headquarters. At least…
On the Persian New Year, Nowruz, Iran’s supreme leader and president gave conflicting assessments about Iran’s economy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the middle and lower classes had suffered during the year from unemployment and high prices. He added that, despite the government’…
On January 29, Iran test launched a medium-range ballistic missile, according to U.S. defense officials. On January 31, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting and recommended the matter of the missile testing be studied at committee level. On February 1, Iran’s defense minister…
Iranian leaders reacted angrily to President Trump’s Executive Order on January 27 banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen — from entering the United States for 90 days. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the ban is “a clear insult…
The following are remarks from top leaders on the anniversary of the nuclear deal’s implementation day, January 16. The agreement between Iran and the world’s six major powers —Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States —significantly limited Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange…
On December 6, President Rouhani warned the incoming Trump administration against trying to renegotiate or tear up the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). His speech at Tehran University, was broadcast nationally on state television. Other officials have yet…
On August 2, President Hassan Rouhani gave a wide-ranging interview on state television that covered the economy, nuclear deal, environment and more. The following are excerpted remarks arranged by topic.
Economy, Oil & Business
“1394 was a hard economic year because of plunge in oil…
On June 3, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran will not cooperate on regional issues with its enemies, the United States and Britain. “America has continued its enmity toward Iran since [the 1979] revolution ... It is a huge mistake to trust evil Britain and the Great Satan [the…
On November 11, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi condemned Israel for allegedly committing the “most heinous crimes” in history during its campaign against Hamas — a response to the brutal attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis on October 7. “What has happened in the past five weeks in…