Iran Policy
Since the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the United States and Iran have engaged in rival diplomacy. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with his British, French and German counterparts during the course of several days. “The Secretary underlined that the United States and our European…
On May 8, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal. In a televised address, Rouhani said Trump “is not loyal to international commitments” and that his behavior disgraces the American people. Rouhani said he has ordered the…
On May 7, President Hassan Rouhani suggested that Iran could remain in the 2015 nuclear deal even if the United States withdraws. “What we want for the deal is that it's preserved and guaranteed by the non-Americans,” he told officials in Mashhad, the country’s second largest city. Rouhani was…
President Hassan Rouhani rejected outright any changes to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, as discussed by President Donald Trump and President Emmanuel Macron during their Washington summit on April 24. “If the JCPOA was bad and dangerous, why did you [the United States] sign it? You are a businessman…
On April 21, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the nuclear deal, regional conflicts, ballistic missiles, and humanitarian issues with a small group of journalists. He outlined potential Iranian responses to a U.S. decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal in May. "The only…
On April 19, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in New York City to attend a high-level U.N. meeting on peacebuilding. Zarif told reporters that he would propose ideas for establishing dialogue and sustainable security in the Persian Gulf region. Zarif also spoke with several…
On March 20, Iran’s top leaders marked Nowruz, the Persian New Year and the first day of spring, with televised addresses to the nation. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged that the past year featured “a mixture of peaks and troughs, sweet and bitter events, just like other stages of…
On February 19, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif renewed his call for a new framework for security in the Persian Gulf region. For years, he has proposed a dialogue forum that would include the primarily Sunni Gulf states, Iraq and Shiite Iran to reduce tensions. He recently outlined…
On the first of the “10 Days of Dawn,” which commemorate the 1979 revolution and Ruhollah Khomeini’s return from exile, President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech on economic development, Iran’s resistance to outside powers and U.S. intervention in the region. The following are excerpts from his…
On January 22, President Hassan Rouhani gave his first interview since protests over economic grievances and corruption broke out in late December and early January. Rouhani reiterated his support for citizens expressing their opinions, although the interviewer never brought up the demonstrations…