Iran Policy

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani repeatedly rebuked the Trump Administration—for abandoning the historic 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and “bullying the world”— during his four-day visit to the U.N. General Assembly. “The government of the United States—at least the current administration—seems…
On September 28, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ordered the evacuation of diplomatic personnel from the U.S. consulate in Basrah in southern Iraq. The announcement followed rocket attacks directed toward the Basrah consulate and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad earlier in the month. Pompeo held Iran…
Presidents Hassan Rouhani, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan met in Tehran on September 7 to discuss the final battlefront in Idlib province and Syria's political future. The summit is their third on Syria. In November 2017, they met in Sochi, Russia, and in April 2018 they met in Ankara,…
On August 13, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected President Donald Trump’s offer of unconditional talks. He said the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal was “clear proof” that Washington cannot be trusted. Khamenei gave several reasons for why Iran would not negotiate with the…
On August 6, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif dismissed the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. “I believe we will manage to pass this critical juncture as well, as we did in the past. The difference is that the current juncture is not as difficult as the previous ones, because now only…
On July 22, President Hassan Rouhani warned President Donald Trump against taking hostile actions toward Iran. “Don’t play with the lion’s tail; you will regret it,” Rouhani said at a meeting of Iranian diplomats. The Islamic Republic’s “enemies must understand well that war with Iran is the mother…
On July 16, Iran filed a lawsuit against the United States at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the reimposition of U.S. sanctions. Iran alleged that the United States violated a treaty signed in 1955, more than two decades before the Islamic Revolution and the subsequent souring of…
On June 21, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticized President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo for making what he called “baseless and provocative allegations” against Iran. “Pompeo, in a baseless and insulting statement, issued a number of demands of and threats against…
On June 4, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directed the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to increase its uranium enrichment capacity. “The West's dream regarding the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) will not come true, and the Iranian nation and government will not tolerate…
On June 4, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Iran will “strike back ten-fold” if attacked. He touted Iran’s development of ballistic missiles, saying they guarantee the country’s security. Khamenei also directed Iran’s atomic energy agency to prepare to increase its uranium…