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Geneva Deal II: President Obama on Merits of Talks
On November 23, President Barack Obama welcomed the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program as an important first step that would cut off Tehran’s most likely paths to a bomb while creating time and space for more negotiations. “Iran, like any nation, should be able to access peaceful…
Geneva Deal III: Iranian Reaction
Iran’s leaders have hailed the interim agreement as a victory and start of a new era for Tehran and its relations with the outside world. In a televised statement, President Hassan Rouhani called the nuclear deal an important “first step” toward solving an “unnecessary crisis” and…
Geneva Deal IV: Congressional Reaction
U.S. lawmakers issued wide-ranging reactions to the news of the interim agreement on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. Many senators and representatives were skeptical about Tehran’s intentions. “Apparently, America has not learned its lesson from 1994 when North Korea fooled the…
Geneva Deal V: Israel and the Gulf Reaction
On November 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the interim agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program, calling it a “historic mistake.” He argued that sanctions “have been given up in exchange for cosmetic Iranian concessions.” President Shimon Peres directed his softer…
Geneva Deal VI: Experts on Terms
The following briefs analyze the terms of the interim deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. International Crisis Group The Iran Nuclear Accord: First Step in a Long Journey The International Crisis Group strongly welcomes the 24 November agreement…
Geneva Deal VII: Nuclear Diplomacy in Iranian Tweets
The chain of events that ultimately produced Iran’s nuclear deal with the world’s six major powers played out in a string of tweets between June 17 and November 24. The tweets began shortly after President Hassan Rouhani’s election and culminated with Foreign Minister Moh Zarif’s…
The Iran Deal: A Humanizing Breakthrough
Robin Wright In 1981, I stood at the foot of the plane that flew the 52 Americans held hostage 444 days in Iran to freedom in Algiers. They were all pasty-faced and captive-weary as they disembarked into the cold January night. It was after midnight. Tehran had delayed their…
Breaking Taboos
The following article was originally published as Viewpoints No. 45 by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Haleh Esfandiari The Rouhani government, barely 100 days old, has delivered what no other Iranian government had achieved since the initiation…
US Polls on Iran Nuclear Deal
Nearly two-thirds of Americans support an agreement with Iran that would lift sanctions in return for Tehran restricting its nuclear program, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Some 72 percent of Democrats surveyed support such a deal compared with 57 percent of…
Obama Briefs Congress, Appeals on Iran Deal
On November 19, President Barack Obama appealed to key Democratic and Republican senators to support an interim deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. In a statement issued afterwards, the White House said "The initial, 6-month step of the P5+1 proposal would halt progress on…
Political Cartoons Reflect US-Iran Gap
The new diplomatic initiative between Iran and the world’s six major powers has inspired cynical political cartoonists on all sides. But the sharpest cartoons have run in the Iranian and American press. They reflect longstanding suspicions between the two nations, which have not had…
Geneva Round III: High Hopes, Deep Divide
On the eve of new talks, key players from Iran and the world’s six major powers remained firmly committed to rival positions but also expressed cautious optimism about an interim agreement. The third round takes place in Geneva on November 20-22. The following are comments from senior…
Sanctions: How Much is Iran Hurting?
Sanctions are costing Iran some $5 billion a month —or $120 billion since 2008— according to senior U.S. officials. Overall, Tehran’s economy shrunk by five percent in 2012. Sanctions have also cut Iranian banks off from the international financial system, which has exacerbated rampant…
Long-Range Missiles a Decade Away
Iran is highly unlikely to deploy a long-range missile capable of reaching U.S. territory within the next decade, according to a new brief by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Tehran has two routes for developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The first…
Obama Says No to New Sanctions for Now
On November 14, President Barack Obama urged Congress to give diplomacy a chance ahead of another round of talks with Iran. He also pledged to not lift key sanctions on the oil, banking and finance sectors as part of an interim deal. Tehran is scheduled to meet the world’s six major…
Kerry to Congress: Allow Time for Talks
On November 14, Secretary of State John Kerry warned that passing new U.S. sanctions could encourage Iranian hardliners to undermine talks on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. They would “hold President [Hassan] Rouhani and Foreign Minister [Mohammad Javad] Zarif accountable” for…
UN Report: Iran Has Slowed Nuclear Program
Iran has virtually halted upgrading its uranium enrichment capacity, according to the latest quarterly report from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Since August, around the time President Hassan Rouhani took office, Tehran also has not added any major components to the heavy-…
Part I: Opposition to a Deal - The Gulf
Robin Wright and Garrett Nada The new diplomacy between Iran and the world’s six major powers faces growing opposition from key players in the Middle East, including the oil-rich and influential Gulf states. The Sunni sheikhdoms are nervous the Shiite theocracy will do a deal on its…
Part II: Opposition to a Deal - Israel
Garrett Nada Israel is the most skeptical country about diplomacy to ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has generally dismissed Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s diplomatic overtures to the outside world as a deceptive “charm offensive.” In…
Part III: Opposition to a Deal - Congress
Any deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear program may need Congressional approval. But the Obama administration could face a tough sell for any deal on the Hill from both Republicans and Democrats. Nearly 60 percent of sanctions imposed on Tehran have been written into law since the…
Iranians' Support for Syria Wanes
Less than half of Iranians support economic, military or political support for the Syrian regime, according to a new Gallup World poll. The Iranian government, however, has been a staunch defender of Bashar al Assad’s government since the conflict erupted in early 2011. Tehran has…
Geneva Talks: Progress, But No Nuclear Deal
Iran and the world’s six major powers made significant headway but ultimately failed to finalize an agreement at grueling talks between November 7 and 10. Foreign ministers from the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia rushed to Geneva as a breakthrough appeared…
Iran Launches Flashy Nuclear Website
Tehran has a launched sophisticated new website, NuclearEnergy.ir, to convince the world – in English – that its nuclear energy program is both peaceful and necessary for modern development, despite Iran’s vast oil and gas resources. The Islamic Republic’s ambitious public diplomacy…
Geneva Talks: Experts on Deal Terms
The following briefs by nuclear proliferation experts analyze the potential terms of a deal to solve the Iranian nuclear dispute. SIPRI: Stockholm International Peace Research InstituteTime for a more comprehensive approach to the Iran nuclear negotiations Shannon KileWill the first…
Iran Provides UN More Access to Nuclear Sites
On November 11, Iran agreed to provide the U.N. nuclear watchdog with greater access to its nuclear sites. The joint statement signed in Tehran was intended to help verify the peaceful nature of Iran’s controversial nuclear program. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano…
Rouhani at 100 Days: Easing Up is Hard to Do
Hanif Kashani and Robin Wright The honeymoon is over. President Hassan Rouhani marks 100 days in office on November 12, which is also his birthday. During his campaign against five rivals, Rouhani distinguished himself as the people’s champion and pledged to create a government of “…
Rouhani at 100 Days: Few New Freedoms Yet
Hanif Kashani and Garrett Nada Iran’s new government has taken only token steps to restore basic freedoms or open up politically during Hassan Rouhani’s first 100 days in office. The cleric had campaigned on an ambitious platform that included free speech, release of political…
Gallup: Most Iranians Say Sanctions Hurting
Some 85 percent of Iranians said international sanctions have hurt their livelihoods, according to a new poll by Gallup World. Half of respondents said they have been hurt “a great deal.” A higher percentage of Iranians said that sanctions had hurt the country overall. Since early 2012…
US, Iran Share Goal: Push Back Hardliners
Ahead of new diplomatic talks, top U.S. and Iranian officials are scrambling to push back hardliners opposed to a nuclear deal. Tehran and the world’s six major powers are scheduled to meet from November 7 to 8 for the second time since President Hassan Rouhani took office. The…
World Leaders on Upcoming Diplomatic Talks
World leaders expressed skepticism that the second round of diplomatic talks in Geneva would produce a dramatic breakthrough agreement on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. Even President Hassan Rouhani (left), who reinvigorated diplomacy after his August inauguration, was skeptical. “The…