We must support democracy and freedom for Iranians, not distract from it
For we Iranian Americans the past few weeks have one hand really inspiring and hopeful — the women from across Iranian society refusing the mandatory hijab and turning that CHOICE into an act of liberation and revolution that strikes fear in the heart of an oppressive regime. On the other hand, its scary — these women […]
Statement on US-Israel War Games
War games won’t resolve the nuclear crisis with Iran, nor would an illegal war of aggression that is being implicitly threatened via America’s participation in Israel’s latest military exercises. The Biden administration at times seems more concerned by the political blowback of diplomacy than the real blowback of another war or a new nuclear state.
What US policymakers can learn about Iran from the life and death of Rafsanjani
TThis article first appeared on the London School of Economics Middle East Centre Blog. On the eve of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani’s death, he was no longer a hardliner. But he wasn’t a reformist either. Many Western newspapers described him as ‘Iran’s ex-president’ in their elegies of him but his legacy dwarfs that characterisation. US policymakers […]
Iran’s weak economic growth undermines supporters of engagement
President Rouhani won the presidency of his country under a campaign which promised to improve Iran’s economy and increase the standard of living of its people. This promise was grounded in another promise, to negotiate a deal with the United States which would end a decade’s worth of economic sanctions; as a result the fate […]
Frustration Grows in Iran Around Sanctions Relief Complications
This week Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani addressed the Iranian public on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Both Khamenei and Rouhani acknowledged frustration with the pace of economic relief following the lifting of sanctions, while blaming the U.S. for failing to fulfill its commitments. As has been the […]
Men in Iran are Wearing Hijabs in Support of Women’s Rights
The fight against the forced hijab has been documented since it began immediately after the 1979 Iranian revolution. Iranian women have gone so far as to shave their heads in protest of wearing the hijab. Last week, however, the fight against forced hijab took a new turn. Iranian men have begun wearing the hijab in […]
Iran and the Unthinkable
At a forum at the Brookings institution on Monday, September 16, Kenneth Pollack discussed his new book, “Unthinkable” with Robin Wright, addressing prospects for Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli security, and American strategy. The book, mostly written before the election of Rouhani, focuses primarily on the question of what to do if diplomacy fails to dissuade Iran from pursuing […]
The House Gets Bad Advice
When it comes to crafting law, Congress seeks input from outside experts to help inform and guide their decisionmaking. The type of experts the body seeks out can say a lot about why Congress does what it does. Last Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee invited some particularly revealing “expert witnesses” that say a lot […]
Rouhani Raises Hopes for Diplomacy at First News Conference as President
By Samira Damavandi and Caroline Cohn At his first press conference as Iran’s new president, Hassan Rouhani indicated his willingness to reengage in diplomatic talks with the West, raising hopes for finding a solution to the current standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. Rouhani replaced outgoing President Ahmadinejad, whose bellicose anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rhetoric only exacerbated […]
Escalating Iran Sanctions Could Damage Hopes for New Beginning
On Monday, July 1 new Executive and Congressional sanctions on Iran, put in place before Iran’s recent elections, came into force. These new sanctions target the shipping and automobile sectors, financial transactions involving gold, and holdings of Iran’s currency, the rial. These latest sanctions come amid a growing debate over whether sanctions could undermine diplomatic opportunities […]
When a Shark Stirs the Water for Iran’s Presidential Hopefuls
With the Guardian Council set to announce the final list of Iranian presidential candidates on Tuesday, after vetting a staggering amount of hopefuls (686 to be exact), a few contenders have been making some prominent headway. Prior to the registration deadline it seemed as if many Iranian voters were going to sit out these elections […]
Iranian pastor accused of apostasy is released
Yousef Nadarkhani, the Iranian Christian pastor who was sentenced to death after being found guilty of apostasy, has been released from prison after tireless work by his lawyers and an international outcry regarding his situation. Early in his life, Nadarkhani abandoned his Islamic faith and by age 19 officially converted to Christianity and shortly thereafter began […]