U.S. Policy
On March 4, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry said that Iran and the world's six major powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - made progress after the latest round of nuclear negotiations in Montreux, Switzerland. But he noted that "there are still significant…
On March 3, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned against a potential nuclear deal with Iran in an address to Congress in Washington, D.C. Administration officials and several Democratic lawmakers were critical of the speech. President Barack Obama claimed that Netanyahu "has not offered any…
On March 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned attendees of the 2015 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference that Iran “vows to annihilate Israel.” If Tehran develops nuclear weapons, “it would have the means to achieve that goal,” he said in Washington, D.C…
On February 14, the U.S. State Department called for the immediate release of 2009 presidential candidates and opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi. The former speaker of parliament and former prime minister, as well as Mousavi’s wife, have been under house arrest for four…
Iran and the world’s six major powers – Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States – held a series of nuclear talks in January and February. Negotiators offered few details, but some officials remained optimistic. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the two sides had made “…
On February 5, President Barack Obama said that the United States is doing everything it can to bring Pastor Saeed Abedini, a dual U.S.-Iranian citizen held captive in Iran, home to Idaho. In January 2013, Abedini was sentenced to eight years in prison after working with Iranian Christians to set…
Several U.S. lawmakers have challenged the Obama administration’s approach to nuclear talks with Iran. President Obama "expects us to stand idly by and do nothing while he cuts a bad deal with Iran," House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told Republicans on January 21. "Two words: Hell no...We're going…
On January 20, President Barack Obama warned Congress that he would veto any new sanctions bill that “threatens to undo” diplomatic progress with Iran. New sanctions would risk “alienating America from its allies” and push Iran to ramp up its nuclear program, he argued. The following is an excerpt…
On January 16, President Barack Obama and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron urged U.S. lawmakers not to pass new sanctions legislation. New penalties from Congress would “put at risk the valuable international unity that has been so crucial,” Cameron warned at a joint press conference at the White…
On January 16, the State Department warned that dual-national Iranian-Americans “may encounter difficulty in departing Iran.” Tehran does not recognize their American citizenship. The new travel warning, an update to one issued in May 2014, still cautioned that U.S. citizens may be subject to “…