New Articles
U.S. Ready for Negotiations but Time is Short
On December 8, Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns said that the United States is ready for negotiations if Iran is “serious about meeting its international obligations” on its nuclear program. He spoke at the Manama Dialogue…
U.S. Renews Iran Sanctions Waivers
On December 7, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the renewal of Iran sanctions exceptions for China, India, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan. The nine countries will be…
U.S. Issues Iran Travel Warning
On December 7, the State Department warned that U.S. citizens may be subject to “harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran.” Dual national Iranian-Americans could face additional obstacles because Tehran does not…
U.S. “Virtual Embassy” Gets 2 Million Hits
The State Department announced that the “Virtual Embassy Tehran” website has been visited nearly two million times by Iranians since its December 2011 launch. The site provides Farsi-language information on U.S. policy, American…
Weighing Benefits and Costs of International Sanctions Against Iran
The United States could better leverage sanctions against Iran while mitigating negative consequences, according to a new report by former U.S. ambassadors, generals, officials and national security experts. International sanctions…
Khamenei Comments: Iran on the Rise
In November, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Iran’s influence and growing power in the region. He challenged Arab governments to follow Tehran’s example by assisting the Palestinians in Gaza. On Iran’s Navy Day,…
Iran on Direct U.S. Talks
Senior Iranian officials sent mixed signals in response to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement about bilateral talks between Washington and Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has indicated an openness to…
Israeli Support Wanes for Iran Strike
Support for an Israeli strike on Iran has waned over the last year, according to a new study. Only one in five Israelis polled support a unilateral strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Half of the respondents said they believed that…
U.S. Sanctions Iran's Shipping and Energy Sectors
On November 30, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved new sanctions on Iran’s energy and shipping sectors. Foreign financial institutions will face stiff penalties for facilitating the sale, supply or transfer of goods or services…
Clinton: U.S. Must Test Diplomatic Option
On November 29, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that “it’s imperative that we do everything we can – unilaterally, bilaterally, multilaterally–” to reach an agreement with Iran on its nuclear program. The key word may have…
U.S. Sets March Deadline for Iran’s Cooperation
On November 29, Ambassador Robert Wood set a March 2013 deadline for Iran to begin cooperating with the U.N. nuclear watchdog. He warned that the United States may otherwise refer the nuclear issue to the U.N. Security Council. “…
Iran’s Nuclear Program: A Shift in the Winds?
Shaul Bakhash In the wake of President Obama’s re-election, Iran has been signaling its readiness for direct talks with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program. A spate of statements in early November by officials close…
Iran Denies Role in Gaza Crisis
Senior Iranian officials have vehemently denied any role in the Gaza crisis over the past week. Tehran claimed it only provides “spiritual” support to Hamas, and condemned Israeli strikes. But officials also criticized Arab…
U.N. Watchdog: Iran Expands Nuclear Activities
On November 16, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran is continuing to enrich uranium, upgrade its facilities and build a heavy water reactor. Since August, Tehran has added 43 kilograms of 20 percent-…
Economic Impact of a U.S.-Iran Conflict
On November 16, a new report by the Federation of American Scientists estimated that a full-scale U.S. invasion of Iran could cost $1.7 trillion. The report on the potential impact of a conflict featured six different scenarios for…
Iran’s Post-U.S. Influence in Iraq
Interview with Ambassador Jim Jeffrey By Garrett Nada Jim Jeffrey was U.S. Ambassador to Iraq from 2010-2012. He was also ambassador to Turkey, and deputy national security advisor under the George W. Bush administration…
Obama to Push for Dialogue with Iran
On November 14, President Barack Obama announced that he will push to start a dialogue between Iran and the international community in the coming months. “There should be a way in which they [the Iranians] can enjoy peaceful nuclear…
U.S. "Appalled" After Blogger Dies in Iran Prison
On November 9, the United States condemned Iran's persecution of blogger Sattar Beheshti, who died in prison reportedly after being tortured. State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland issued the following statement. …
Obama to Continue Iran’s National Emergency Status
On November 9, President Barack Obama officially notified Congress that the White House will continue the national emergency status of Iran. The following is an excerpt from his letter with links to the two formal notifications…
The List: Iran Bans Luxury Imports
On November 8, the Islamic Republic announced a ban on over 70 types of foreign luxury goods. Iran Daily reported that the ban on imports could save the country $4 billion annually. Tehran’s foreign currency reserves are low due to…
Will Obama Win Jumpstart Diplomacy?
Patrick Clawson Diplomacy has been on hold since the last round of talks in June between Iran and the world’s six major powers in Moscow. What are the diplomatic options after the U.S. presidential election? The talks have…
Iran Reacts to Obama Win
After President Obama’s reelection, Iranian officials indicated that they are open to renewed negotiations. “If it benefits us, we can hold talks with America even at the bottom of hell,” said Human Rights Council Secretary Mohammad…
U.S. Sanctions 17 Individuals and Entities
On November 8, the U.S. Treasury announced “a set of targeted sanctions against 17 individuals and entities related to the Iranian government’s human rights abuses, its support of terrorism, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard…
Iran Letter to U.N. on Israeli Threat
On November 7, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee sent a letter to the United Nations claiming that "Iran has never had any intention to attack any other nation." Khazaee condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent…
U.N. Nuclear Watchdog: No progress over past year
On November 5, United Nations nuclear chief Yukiya Amano announced that his agency “cannot conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities.” Talks between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency since…
Ahmadinejad Concedes to Supreme Leader
On November 1, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pledged to focus on Iran’s economic problems instead of domestic quarrels in a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The letter was posted on the president’s website just one…
Khamenei Comments: Squabbling Is Treasonous
On October 31, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rebuked officials for publically squabbling to score political points. “From today to election day [for president next June], whoever willfully takes disputes to the people and…
Talk of Tehran: The Tumbling Economy
Helia Ighani Iran’s media is increasingly outspoken about the troubled economy, but newspapers are deeply divided over who is at fault. Editorials have become even sharper since new E.U. sanctions on Iran’s national oil, tanker…
Tribunal Blames Iran for Abuses
On October 27, the Iran Tribunal charged that the Islamic Republic was responsible “for gross violations of human rights against its citizens under the International Covenant of Civil and Political rights” during the 1980s. The…
Judiciary Slams Ahmadinejad
On October 21, Iran’s judiciary denied President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad permission to visit his press advisor in Evin prison. Ali Akbar Javanfekr had been arrested and jailed for six months in September while Ahmadinejad was in New…