New Articles
Poll: Rouhani Approval Rating Improves
Some 54 percent of Iranians approved of President Hassan Rouhani’s performance in late August, according to a newly released poll by iPOS (Information and Public Opinion Solutions). His rating was up six percent compared to May, before the nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers…
How Iran Feels About the U.S. Debate
Interview with Nasser Hadian How has the debate over the nuclear deal played out in Iran? There are four major reactions to the deal among Iran’s political elites. First, there are those who support the deal unconditionally, because they are tired of the economic and political situation in…
Moniz on Science of Iran Deal
The final nuclear deal will permanently improve the international community’s capability to verify Iran’s activities, according to U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — is built upon a foundation of deep nuclear science and technology in both…
Kerry on Amir Hekmati’s Detention in Iran
On August 28, Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement marking the four-year anniversary of U.S. citizen Amir Hekmati’s detention in Iran. Iranian authorities arrested Hekmati—a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen born in Arizona and a former Marine— in August 2011 for allegedly working for the CIA…
The Final Deal: U.S. Officials React
The following are excerpted statements by U.S. officials on the final nuclear deal that was announced by the world’s six major powers and Iran on July 14.Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power"If the United States rejects this deal, we would instantly isolate ourselves from the countries…
Heated Debate in Iran on Nuclear Deal
Garrett Nada The debate over the nuclear deal is heating up in Iran. President Hassan Rouhani’s administration has been trying to sell the agreement since it was announced on July 14. But hardliners' criticism of the deal is mounting. Part of the debate is over whether or not the agreement and…
Khamenei Website Reaches Out to Youth
Sina Azodi Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s newest website is an attempt to sustain the revolution and its values among Iran’s youth. Nojavan, or “Youth,” was launched in April. More than 60 percent of Iran’s population is under 35. They were born after the 1979 revolution and did not…
Iranian Lawmakers on Nuclear Deal
On August 19, Iran’s parliament selected 15 members for a panel that will review the nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers. Two dozen law makers volunteered to serve on the panel; 15 were then elected by the full parliament. The group includes 13 conservatives. In an…
Iranian Officials: Deal Won’t Lead to US Influence
As the United States deliberated the nuclear deal, senior officials in the Islamic Republic insisted that the agreement would not increase Washington’s influence in Iran. On August 20, Revolutionary Guards commander Ali Jafari asserted that “we will not allow the hegemonic powers to exercise…
Khamenei Comments: Deal Won’t Open Iran to U.S. Influence
On August 17, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran will continue to oppose U.S. policies in the region and resist U.S. influence. “They [Americans] thought this [nuclear] deal - and it is not clear if it will be passed in Iran or in America - will open up Iran to their influence,”…
Iranian Lawmakers Petition to Review Deal
On August 16, a member of Iran’s parliamentary Presiding Board read a petition signed by 201 out of 290 lawmakers calling on the government to present a bill on the nuclear deal. The lawmakers argued that the agreement between Iran and the world’s six major powers needs the approval of parliament…
Obama on War and Peace
Robin Wright (for The New Yorker)President Obama was in a reflective mood when he met with a group of journalists at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after he delivered a combative speech defending the Iran deal. He is, in private meetings, a congenial stoic, even as he chews…
Open Letters in Support of Deal: Scientists, Generals & Ambassadors
Groups of scientists, nonproliferation specialists, former generals and former ambassadors have authored open letters in support of the nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers. One group of former generals has also written an open letter. On August 8, 29 top U.S. scientists wrote…
Report: Economic Impact of Sanctions Relief
The Iranian economy will receive a boost from sanctions relief, both from increased trade and recovering billions of dollars in frozen assets. Additionally, Iran’s return to the oil market could cause oil prices to drop by 14 percent, according to the World Bank’s MENA Quarterly Economic Brief,…
US Treasury: New Guidance on Sanctions
On August 7, the U.S. Treasury issued guidance clarifying that Iran will continue to receive the limited sanctions relief specified by the 2013 interim nuclear deal, known as the Joint Plan of Action (JPOA). Once the final nuclear deal is implemented – likely not until early 2016 – the Treasury…
US Scientists Endorse Deal in Obama Letter
On August 8, 29 top U.S. scientists wrote to President Barack Obama in support of the Iran nuclear deal. The “innovative agreement” has “much more stringent constraints than any previously negotiated non-proliferation framework,” according to the co-signers, who include six Nobel laureates, nuclear…
Economic Trends: June and July
Cameron GlennEconomic trends in June and July were heavily shaped by the nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers, which was announced on July 14. Iran is poised to benefit economically from the deal, once a number of U.N., U.S., and E.U. sanctions are lifted. European and Asian…
International Groups Back Nuclear Deal
Several international organizations have expressed support for the final nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers. The United Nations Security Council endorsed the deal on July 20, and the Association of South East Asian Nations announced their approval on August 6. The Gulf…
US Treasury Official on Nuclear Deal
Sanctions relief was a “necessary part of any deal,” according to Adam Szubin, acting Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee on August 5. Szubin defended the deal, emphasizing that it would not have been “feasible to…
Obama Defends Nuclear Deal
On August 5, President Barack Obama gave a speech at American University defending the nuclear deal. The following is a transcript of his remarks.It is a great honor to be back at American University, which has prepared generations of young people for service and public life. I want to thank…
US-Gulf Statement on Iran
The following are excerpts from a joint statement released by the U.S. – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers meeting in Doha, Qatar on August 3. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry joined Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and the Secretary General of the…
Rouhani Interview on Nuclear Deal
On August 2, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran’s achievements secured in the nuclear deal surpassed expectations. In a live interview on state television, he pushed back against hardliner critiques of the agreement. “This idea that we have two options before the world, either submit…
US Report: Human Trafficking in Iran
Iran's government "does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so,” according to the State Department’s 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report. The report ranks Iran as a “Tier 3” country, its lowest ranking, meaning…
Obama Tries to Sell Nuclear Deal
In July and August, President Barack Obama defended the Iran nuclear deal in his public remarks. “There’s a reason why 99 percent of the world thinks that this is a good deal,” he said on July 27. “It’s because it’s a good deal.” Congress has until September 18 to either allow the agreement to…
The Final Deal: Promises and Pitfalls
The debate surrounding the historic nuclear deal between Iran and the world’s six major powers played out among two nuclear experts, a sanctions specialist and an Iran scholar during an event co-hosted by USIP at the Woodrow Wilson Center on July 23. The discussion outlined key issues that will top…
Kerry Explains the Deal at CFR
On July 24, Secretary of State John Kerry explained and defended the nuclear deal at the Council on Foreign Relations. The following is an excerpted transcript of his remarks. MR RICHARD HAASS, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: The agreement calls for significant reductions in the…
Kerry, Moniz Testify on Iran Deal
Secretary of State John Kerry defended the nuclear deal in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on July 23 and a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on July 28. Bob Corker (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, accused Kerry of being “fleeced." But Kerry insisted…
White House Opens Iran Deal Twitter Account
After Iran and the world's six major powers reached a final nuclear deal on July 14, the White House launched a Twitter account, @TheIranDeal, dedicated to promoting and disseminating information on the agreement. The following are a sample of tweets from the account.Watch @POTUS lay out the facts…
Iran Tries to Sell Nuclear Deal
Iranian officials involved in the nuclear negotiations are trying to sell the final deal at home, particularly to lawmakers. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif framed the agreement as a win for Iran during his remarks to parliament on July 21. “For 12 years, great powers have tried to prevent an…
UN Security Council Endorses Iran Deal
On July 20, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2231, endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which will take effect 90 days after the council's endorsement. The resolution will expire ten years after adoption, and the council will “remove the Iranian nuclear…