Iran Policy
On January 12, President Donald Trump extended sanctions waivers for Iran as required under the nuclear deal. But he warned that he would withdraw from the deal if European partners did not agree to fix perceived flaws in the agreement. On the same day, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned 14…
On December 28, 2017, protests erupted in Mashhad, Iran’s second largest city, over high prices and corruption. Anti-government demonstrations quickly spread to dozens of cities. They were the largest show of opposition since 2009. Some of the rallies turned violent. More than 20 people reportedly…
On November 4, Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi forces said they intercepted the missile but the Houthis hailed the launch as a success. A Houthi spokesman told Al Jazeera that the Burkan 2-H, a type of Scud missile, traveled more…
Iranian officials have reacted angrily to President Trump’s speech on the nuclear deal. The following are excerpted remarks by top leaders.
President Hassan Rouhani
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Hello and good night to the great, understanding Iranian nation. I…
On September 20, President Rouhani gave wide-ranging comments on the nuclear deal and regional conflicts. In a press conference following his U.N. address, the Iranian leader rejected outright any prospect of renegotiating the nuclear deal or extending its timelines. “There will be absolutely no…
This is part one of a series based on two interviews with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, a one-on-one interview with Robin Wright and another with a group of American journalists (including Wright) on July 18 in New York City. The following are excerpted remarks on the nuclear deal…
On June 18, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) fired six mid-range missiles from western Iran at ISIS targets in the Deir el-Zour region of eastern Syria. The IRGC said the missiles targeted a key arms depot, a military command center and the group’s Deir el-Zour headquarters. At least…
On the Persian New Year, Nowruz, Iran’s supreme leader and president gave conflicting assessments about Iran’s economy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the middle and lower classes had suffered during the year from unemployment and high prices. He added that, despite the government’…
On January 29, Iran test launched a medium-range ballistic missile, according to U.S. defense officials. On January 31, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting and recommended the matter of the missile testing be studied at committee level. On February 1, Iran’s defense minister…
Iranian leaders reacted angrily to President Trump’s Executive Order on January 27 banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries — Iran, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen — from entering the United States for 90 days. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the ban is “a clear insult…