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Key Quotes on Iran-Britain Tensions
Annika Folkeson After the Iranians stormed the British embassy in Tehran on Nov. 29, Britain closed the Iranian embassy in London and expelled all Iranian diplomats. Britain also evacuated its diplomats in Tehran. The new tensions followed London’s new sanctions on all Iranian banks…
The Russia and China Factors in Sanctions
Mark N. Katz What role is Russia playing - helper or hinderer – in international diplomatic efforts on Iran, and why? The major Western powers now view Moscow as hindering their efforts to squeeze Iran. Between 2006 and 2011, Russia agreed to six U.N. Security Council resolutions against Iran…
Republican Candidates on Iran
Annika Folkeson The Republican candidates for president outlined their positions on Iran during two foreign policy debates on Nov. 12 and Nov. 22, 2011. In alphabetical order, the following are excerpts of their statements on issues such as sanctions, military action, and support for the…
Speech by National Security Advisor Tom Donilon
The following are excerpts from National Security Advisor Tom Donilon’s speech about U.S. policy on Iran at the Brookings Institution on Nov. 22, 2011. In January 2009, Tehran believed, and many in the region believed, that Iran was ascendant. Internally, the Iranian regime faced no significant…
Obama, Clinton, Geithner Statements on New Sanctions
President Obama’s Statement on New Iran SanctionsToday, my Administration has taken yet another step to further isolate and penalize Iran for its refusal to live up to its international obligations regarding its nuclear program. For years, the Iranian government has failed to abide by its…
White House Fact Sheet on U.S. Sanctions
On Nov. 21, the Obama administration announced new sanctions designed to target Iran’s controversial nuclear and missile programs. The moves came on the same day that Britain cut all ties with Iranian banks and Canada announced a ban on exports for use in Iran’s petrochemical, oil and gas…
Treasury Outlines New Sanctions
On Nov. 21, the Obama administration announced new sanctions designed to target Iran’s controversial nuclear and missile programs. The moves came on the same day that Britain cut all ties with Iranian banks and Canada announced a ban on exports for use in Iran’s petrochemical, oil and gas…
New Resolution on Iran and U.S. Reaction
On Nov. 18, 2011, a resolution by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency expressed concern about Iran’s controversial nuclear program based on the latest report. Specifically, the IAEA Board of Governors:1. Expresses deep and increasing concern about the unresolved issues regarding the Iranian nuclear…
Part II – Testimony by U.S. Officials
The following are excerpts from Congressional testimony at a Nov. 15 hearing on the Obama Administration’s policy toward Iran. The three officials appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee…
Part I – Testimony by Iran Experts
The following are excerpts from Congressional testimony at a Nov. 15 hearing on the Obama Administration’s policy toward Iran. The three analysts appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations Subcommittee. Dr…
Iran Letter to U.N. about Bomb Plot
In response to a draft resolution against Iran, its mission at the United Nations issued the following letter refuting U.S. allegations about an Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington as "circumstantial and unsubstantiated." In the name of God, the Compassionate, the…
Russian Scientist Helped Nuclear Program?
The following is an excerpt from a new assessment by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) about Russian scientist Vycheslav Danilenko, who worked in Iran from 1996 until 2002 and reportedly may have provided assistance to Iran on explosive technology that could be used in…
Poll: Most Americans Back Diplomacy on Iran
The following is an excerpt from a CBS News poll on what Americans favor on U.S. policy preferences on Iran. "Most Americans support a diplomatic approach when it comes to dealing with Iran; 55% think Iran is a threat to the U.S. that can be contained with diplomacy. Only 15% say Iran is…
Iran’s Growing Dependence on China
The Atlantic Council has issued a new report entitled “Iran Turns to China, Barter to Survive Sanctions.” The following is an excerpt, with a link to the entire survey at the bottom. The big story of the last decade for Iranian trade has been that of increasing reliance on China. Since 2001…
Iran Rages over U.N. Nuclear Report
Annika Folkeson Iranian leaders reacted angrily and swiftly to the new U.N. report on its controversial nuclear program. They denied all suggestions that it had secret activities. And they warned that any military action against the Islamic Republic would be countered with full force. The…
World Powers React to U.N. Nuclear Report
Annika Folkeson The major powers involved in diplomacy with Iran had diverse reactions to the new U.N. report on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. Russia and China indicated strong opposition to tough new sanctions or other actions that might lead to regime change. Britain, France…
What’s New in the U.N. Nuclear Report?
Michael Adler What is new in the latest report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency about Iran’s controversial nuclear program? The report takes the U.N. nuclear watchdog's accounting of Iran's nuclear program to a whole new level. It is the first time the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)…
Summary of U.N. Nuclear Report
The following is an excerpt of the conclusions from a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency – the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency – in November 2011. While the Agency continues to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material at the nuclear facilities and LOFs declared by…
Iran in U.N. Human Development Report
The following are some key statistics on development in Iran from the 2011 Human Development Report that was published on Nov. 2. Overall, Iran ranked number 88 out of 187 countries. Economics: · Population: 74.8 millions· GDP per capita (PPP*): $11,558· GNI per capita (…
The Talk of Attack
Iran’s controversial nuclear program has once again sparked talk of a possible Israeli military strike, with the Israeli press reporting that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been seriously debating the options. In turn, the Iranians have struck a defiant tone…
House Moves to Strengthen Sanctions
The following statement was released on Nov. 2 by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The committee adopted two bipartisan bills aimed at strengthening and expanding U.S. sanctions on Iran and other rogue regimes. To view Chairman Ros-Lehtinen’s full remarks during the markup, please click here.…
U.S. Strategic Competition with Iran
Anthony Cordesman and Alexander Wilner of the Center for Strategic and International Studies released a new report on Nov. 2. The following is an excerpt with a link to the full report at the bottom: U.S. competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but…
No Elected President for Iran?
Shaul Bakhash
In mid-October, Supreme leader Ali Khamenei said in a speech that Iran’s executive presidency could be replaced by a parliamentary government if the interests of the state required it. The president, he implied, could be replaced by a prime minister. The remark, out of the blue…
Treasury Tightens Squeeze on Iran Front Companies
Matthew Levitt In its latest action against Iran, the Treasury Department has sanctioned six new front companies connected to Iran’s official shipping line. The six companies, based in Panama, are part of an Iranian game of cat-and-mouse designed to hide Tehran’s ownership and mask its ongoing…
Clinton and Kambiz Hosseini of Voice of America's Parazit Show
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton interview with Kambiz Hosseini of the Voice of America’s Parazit show on Oct. 26, 2011: QUESTION: So, Madam Secretary, thank you for taking time to answer our audience’s questions. We were supposed to do this way earlier. We assume you were too busy taking down…
Clinton Interview with BBC Persian Service
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton interview with Bahman Kalbasi on Oct. 26, 2011: QUESTION: Secretary Clinton, thank you very much for sitting down with the BBC. And the response to our call for questions has been overwhelming. The thousands of viewers we have across the Persian speaking…
Three Congressional Testimonies on Iran
Congressional testimonies on Oct. 26, 2011 before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence and Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management. Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Center for American Progress Action Fund It is imperative that the United…
Marine Commander Links 1983 Bomb and 2011 Plot
The following is an excerpt from testimony by Col. Timothy J. Geraghty, USMC (retired) on Oct. 26 before the Joint Subcommittee Hearing: Iranian Terror Operations on American Soil. Geraghty was commander of the Marine peacekeepers in Lebanon.
October 23, 2011 marked the twenty-eighth…
Key Dates for Iran's Parliamentary Election
This is a timeline of the key dates for Iran's Parliamentary Election: December 24-31, 2011 Candidate Registration period January 1-25, 2012 Candidate Vetting period Last week of January Official announcement of vetted candidates February 22-March 1, 2012…
Clinton on Iranian Plot
The following is an excerpt from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s interview with NBC’s Today Show on Oct. 12 about Iran’s alleged terrorism plot. QUESTION: Let’s talk about the news of the day, this plot by some members of the Quds Force to take out the Saudi ambassador at a…