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Brett McGurk on Iran
Updated: January 28, 2022
Before he was appointed to the National Security Council, Brett McGurk criticized the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran as counterproductive to U.S. interests. “Iran is now behaving more provocatively, not less,” despite extensive U.S. sanctions, he wrote in Foreign…
Colin Kahl on Iran
Before being nominated as Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy, Colin Kahl pushed for renewed diplomacy with Tehran. “It would be wise for the administration to dial back the rhetoric, open high-level channels with Tehran, and signal a willingness to reenter the nuclear deal as a starting point…
Jonathan Finer on Iran
In 2020, before he was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor, Jonathan Finer charged that the Trump administration’s policy on Iran had failed. “Iran’s behavior in the region, if anything, has gotten worse since maximum pressure began, and its nuclear program has moved closer to the danger…
Bill Burns on Iran
Updated: July 24, 2023
Before he was nominated as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns called for diplomacy with Iran to end the wars in Afghanistan and Yemen. “We should have no illusions that they will engage productively on all our concerns,” he wrote in May 2019, in an article with Jake Sullivan…
Wendy Sherman on Iran
Updated: January 25, 2023
Before she was appointed Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman had pushed for a swift return to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). She urged the Biden administration to immediately begin consultations with Europe, Russia and China on…
Jake Sullivan on Iran
Updated: July 16, 2023
Before he was appointed National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan repeatedly said that the Biden administration would return to the 2015 nuclear deal—if Iran came back into compliance first. Any new diplomacy with Iran would seek to extend the deal’s restrictions, including the timelines that limit…
Iranian Media on Biden Inauguration, Trump’s Exit
The Iranian media—normally divided between reformist and hardline views in their editorial focus—covered the U.S. transition of power from widely diverse angles. Some focused on the drama of Trump’s exit before the inauguration. Others highlighted the beginning of a new political era in the United…
Zarif on New Diplomacy with U.S.
Updated: February 11, 2021
Two days after President Biden’s inauguration, Foreign Minister Zarif called on the new Biden administration to take two major steps to renew diplomacy with Iran: remove all sanctions imposed during the Trump administration and reenter the 2015 nuclear deal “without altering its painstakingly…
Avril Haines on Iran
On Jan. 19, 2021, Director of National Intelligence-designate Avril Haines reiterated President Biden’s pledge to reenter the 2015 nuclear deal but only if Iran first rolls back its violations of the agreement. “Frankly, we're a long ways from that,” she told the Senate Intelligence Committee…
Lloyd Austin on Iran
Updated: March 28, 2023
Before he was confirmed as Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin sketched out the Biden administration’s priorities for future diplomacy with Iran after reentering the 2015 nuclear deal. “I would hope that as we enter into that agreement, we could have this discussion about when things sunset and also…
Antony Blinken on Iran
Updated: August 10, 2023
On January 19, 2021, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State-designate, pledged that the Biden administration would reenter the 2015 Iran nuclear deal if Tehran first rolls back its recent violations, but would then “seek a longer and stronger agreement” in collaboration with the other five major…
Iran Sanctions Trump, U.S. Officials
On January 19, Iran sanctioned Donald Trump and top U.S. officials on his last full day as president. The move was largely symbolic, given that the officials were leaving office and did not have assets in Iran. The foreign ministry accused the Trump administration of perpetrating “terrorist and…
U.S. Expands Metal Sanctions on Iran
On January 15, the State Department added 15 metals to its list of banned imports to Iran, including seven types of aluminum, six types of steel and two types of zirconium. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed that the metals were “used in connection with Iran’s nuclear, military or ballistic…
U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Defense, Shipping Industries
On January 15, the United States expanded sanctions on Iran’s defense and shipping industries during President Donald Trump’s last full week in office. The administration sanctioned three weapons manufacturers, seven international shipping companies and two Iranian business executives.
The defense…
Iran's Missiles: Evolution and Arsenal
Michael Elleman is Director of Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a former U.N. weapons inspector, is the principal author of “Iran's Ballistic Missile Capabilities: A Net Assessment.”
Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic…
Biden & Iran: The Policy Debate
On January 13, three experts debated how the Biden admin will change U.S. policy on Iran. The event was moderated by Steve Inskeep, host of NPR's Morning Edition. The speakers were:
James F. Jeffrey: Chair of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center; Former ambassador to Iraq and…
News Digest: Week of January 11
January 11
Diplomacy: Iran told South Korea that it had initiated legal proceedings to recoup Iranian funds frozen in Korean banks. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Korean diplomats visiting Tehran that freezing the funds was "illegal" and were the biggest impediment to improved…
Biden & Iran: The Nuclear Deal
Updated: August 20, 2021
Of all the pressing issues in the volatile Middle East, the most pressing for the Biden administration will be Iran’s controversial nuclear program. Joe Biden pledged to rejoin the landmark nuclear deal negotiated between Iran and the six major world powers in 2015. “If Iran returns to strict…
Biden & Iran: On Human Rights
As president, Joe Biden has pledged to continue sanctions on Iranian state institutions and high-level officials for human rights abuses. He condemned the execution of Navid Afkari, a 27-year-old wrestler, in September 2020. In a letter and at his trial, Afkari alleged that he was repeatedly…
U.S. Sanctions Foundations Controlled by Supreme Leader
On January 13, the United States sanctioned two major foundations, along with their heads and subsidiaries, controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The two bonyads (charitable organizations), Execution of Imam Khomeini’s Order and Astan Quds Razavi, have accumulated vast wealth through…
Biden & Iran: Regional Influence and Proxies
Iranian proxies sanctioned by the United States
The Biden administration faces a major challenge containing Iran’s influence across the Middle East. Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has built a network of proxies. At the beginning of 2021, Tehran had alliances with more than a dozen major militias…
Pompeo on Iran and al Qaeda
On January 12, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged that al Qaeda has set up a “new operational headquarters” in Iran, although he provided little tangible evidence. He alleged that Tehran offered the Sunni jihadi movement logistical support, including identification cards and passports, to…
Pompeo Assesses Maximum Pressure Campaign
In his final full week in office, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlined all that the Trump administration has done in its maximum pressure campaign against Iran. In a series of tweets, he highlighted the following accomplishments:
The Trump administration sanctioned more than 1,500 individuals…
U.S. Revokes Houthi Terrorist Designation
Updated: February 12, 2021
On February 12, 2021, the Biden administration announced that the terrorist designation of the Houthis, also known as Ansarallah (“Supporters of God”), would be revoked on February 16. The Houthis are Shiite rebels in Yemen allegedly supported by Iran. In January, the Trump administration had…
U.S. on Anniversary of Ukraine Airliner Shootdown
On January 9, 2021, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded accountability from Iran for the accidental downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 one year prior. He accused Iran of shielding the Revolutionary Guards from culpability. “Iran’s own investigation revealed that the Islamic…
IRGC Reveals Underground Missile Base
On December 8, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) unveiled an underground missile base at an undisclosed location on the Persian Gulf. Dozens of missiles, launchers and trucks were visible in photos released by Sepah News, an IRGC-linked news agency. “These missiles have ranges of…
U.S. Sanctions Iraqi Militia Leader Tied to Iran
On January 8, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Falih al Fayyadh, Chairman of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Commission (PMC) and former National Security Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, for human rights abuses. Fayyadh headed the PMC when its forces, including militias supported by Iran, allegedly…
Iran Officials, Media on Unrest in Washington
Updated: January 9, 2021
In Iran, the attempt to seize the Capitol in Washington on January 6 generated live television coverage, widespread commentary and denunciations by top officials. President Hassan Rouhani said that the unrest reflected the frailty of the American political system. “What we saw in the U.S. last…
Iran Responds to U.S. Deployments
In late 2020, Iran condemned President Donald Trump for deploying additional U.S. military warplanes and warships to the Persian Gulf during his final days in office. In November and December, the Pentagon ordered three flights of B-52 bombers, a nuclear-powered submarine and a carrier strike group…
News Digest: Week of January 4
January 4
Maritime: Iran seized a South Korean-flagged chemical tanker, the Hankuk Chemi, in the Persian Gulf. The ship’s 20-member crew, which included nationals from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar, was detained at the Bandar Abbas port. Tehran denied that the crew were being held…