Dysfunctional Congress Threatens Iran Talks
As the United States and Iran look for an exit ramp off the road to war, they may find a surprising new obstacle: the very sanctions legislation that many credit for bringing Iran back to the negotiating table. As a result of that sanctions bill, Congress now has the de-facto power to block any diplomatic […]
Akbar Ganji: “The Worst Scenario for Iran: A Different Look” (Part 2 of 2)
On June 15, 2011, Akbar Ganji published an article,”The Worst Scenario for Iran: A Different Look,” on BBC Persian, examining the economy of Iran and the effects of the international sanctions on it. NIAC’s Ali Tayebi and Sahar Fahimi have translated this article from Ganji’s original pen, Persian, to English. This is the second half […]
Ahmadinejad Accuses Opposition of Supporting Sanctions
Earlier this week, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reacted to the latest round of international sanctions by lashing out at his political arch nemeses, Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mir Hossein Mousavi, during a televised conference with the heads of Iran’s propaganda machine, the IRIB. Ahmadinejad didn’t call them out by name, instead referring to them as those “who were […]
Leverage Through Sanctions Not a Long-Term Strategy
Last week, the U.S took a page out of its well-worn foreign policy playbook and imposed new sanctions on North Korea. The similarities between the U.S approach to North Korea and Iran are striking, centering on a strategy of sanctions, isolation, and containment. It can be argued that the U.S has had more success isolating North […]
Iran’s Hardliners Continue Splitting
Tensions are boiling in Iran’s parliament over the government’s demand to take control over the assets of Azad University, which amounts to over $200 billion. This feud between the parliament and Ahmadinejad’s administration reflects the ongoing battles between the camps of Rafsanjani and Ahmadinejad. (Azad University was one of the most successful pet projects and […]
IRI’s Helping Hand
While some Iranians came out to protest on the one-year anniversary of the fraudulent presidential elections this weekend, others came out to attack Mehdi Karroubi and the offices of Grand Ayatollah Saanei and late Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. Karroubi, who traveled to Qom on Sunday for a mourning ceremony, planned on visiting Grand Ayatollah Yousef Saanei, […]
Tehran dismisses another US sanction
Last Thursday the US senate passed a broad, indiscriminate sanctions bill that would restrict Iran’s importation of petroleum; predictably this move was promptly dismissed by authorities in Tehran. It is reported, (via www.presstv.com) that Ramin Mehman-Parast, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that the US will not persuade Iran to […]
Some in Congress Get Smart on Iran
Cross-posted from the HuffingtonPost: For more than two decades now, US policy on Iran has depended almost entirely on sanctions. Even now, Congress is set to pass the latest in a long line of “crippling” pressures: a gasoline embargo that both Republicans and Democrats believe is unlikely to alter Iran’s behavior in the slightest, but […]