“My Thoughts Turn to Them”
A deal has been reached between Iran, Turkey, and Brazil, in which Iran has agreed to ship most of its enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for nuclear fuel rods to power a medical research reactor. Deprived of the uranium, Iran cannot process it to the higher levels needed for weapons production. In addition, the […]
Video: Gates on Iranian politics
[vodpod id=Video.3597223&w=425&h=350&fv=] Secretary of Defense Gates spoke with CNN’s John King yesterday about the internal situation in Iran and whether the resentment and popular unrest following last year’s election is still continuing. I think Secretary Gates is correct in saying that, despite things being calm on the surface, there is a reservoir of popular dissatisfaction […]
Is the Sanctions Debate Justifying the Military Option?
This post originally appeared at InsideIran.org. To an outsider, it may seem like Washington is united in favor of imposing new sanctions on Iran. But, like in Iran itself, the internal wrangling over this question among Washington policymakers is much more complex and divided by factions than one may assume. Congressional leaders from both parties […]
Changing Course on Iran Sanctions
This post appeared in today’s The Hill newspaper. New sanctions on Iran are about the surest bet in Washington these days. Both the House and the Senate have passed a “crippling” gasoline embargo, and the administration has all but given up talk of negotiations in favor of pressing for UN Security Council sanctions “that bite.” In […]
One Overlooked Aspect of the Secret Gates Memo
The New York Times on Sunday reported on a secret memo written by Defense Secretary Robert Gates in January warning that the US has no long-term strategy for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has warned in a secret three-page memorandum to top White House officials that the United States does […]
Taking “Yes” for an Answer
Reviving an issue that most observers have declared to be dead in the water, the Federation of American Scientists is calling on the US to accept Iran’s counter-proposal on the Tehran Research Reactor fuel-swap. In sum, the P5+1 should agree to Iran’s proposal to place 1200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) under IAEA seals inside Iran, […]
Reporting for Duty?
Hossein Yekta, a high ranking member of the Basij militia and a veteran of the Iran-Iraq war, said this week that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already declared “war,” but “no one is reporting for duty.” Raja News, one of the most hard line news agencies in Iran reported that Yekta tells student Basijis to get […]
Iranian Women Band Together, Caution Against Broad Sanctions
March 8th, International Women’s Day, was celebrated with even more passion this year in Tehran. Zahra Rahnavard – the outspoken wife of the presidential election challenger, Mir Hossein Mousavi – issued a statement at a meeting with members of the women’s rights movement in Iran praising all the brave women of the Green Movement for […]
Rafsanjani: National Healer?
As one of the main pillars of power in the Islamic establishment, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani played a significant role in what became the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979. Depending on one’s political affiliation, Rafsanjani to this day is still either highly respected or highly feared in the internal political circles of Iran. Rafsanjani 75, a […]
NIAC Applauds Shift Toward Targeted Sanctions
Contact: Phil Elwood 917.379.3787 For Immediate Release Washington, DC – The National Iranian American Council welcomes the Obama administration’s decision to pursue targeted sanctions on Iran’s leaders rather than indiscriminate sanctions that would contribute to the suffering of the Iranian people. “As the Iranian people continue to bravely stand up for their rights, NIAC has […]
Obama’s Statement on Iran
From President Obama’s press statement today: Before I leave, let me also briefly address the events that have taken place over the last few days in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The United States joins with the international community in strongly condemning the violent and unjust suppression of innocent Iranian citizens, which has apparently resulted […]
Tell Congress to Stand With the Iranian People!
For decades, Iranians have lived under the double burden of repression by their government and unintended hardship caused by US sanctions. Even now, Congress is rushing to pass the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act (IRPSA), which will only contribute to the Iranian people’s suffering by seeking to restrict Iran’s supply of heating oil and gasoline. […]