New Articles
Report: Iran’s Missiles Raise Tensions in Gulf
Iran has raised tensions in the Middle East by increasing the number, range and capability of its rockets and missiles, according to an updated report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Tehran’s “missile and…
Zarif Tries to Calm Nervous Gulf States
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tried to calm Gulf states nervous about the Geneva nuclear agreement and Iran’s regional aspirations. Zarif kicked off his first official tour of the Sunni sheikhdoms with a visit to Kuwait on…
Poll: Iranians Split on Syria Policy
A slight majority of Iranians think their government is having a negative impact on developments in Syria, according to a newly released Zogby Research Services poll. The Iranian government, however, has been a staunch defender of…
Poll: Iranians Prioritize Jobs and Political Reform
Iranians want their government to focus on the economy and political reforms this year, according to a newly released Zogby Research Services poll. The top issues Iranians want addressed are expanding employment opportunities, advancing…
US and Israeli Leaders Split on Nuclear Deal
Top U.S. leaders defended the interim deal on Iran’s nuclear program while their Israeli counterparts criticized it at the 2013 Saban Forum in Washington. President Barack Obama, Secretary John Kerry, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and…
Zarif Defends Deal in Speech to Students
On December 3, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif outlined the merits of the Geneva nuclear deal at a crowded Tehran University auditorium. “Those that are afraid of negotiations…that see themselves as too small, they think they…
Rouhani’s Next Test: Empty Coffers
Kevan Harris What is the status of Iran’s economy three months after President Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration? In a televised interview marking his first 100 days, President Rouhani acknowledged that the state coffers were virtually empty when he assumed the presidency.…
Poll: Americans Back Geneva Deal 2-to-1
Americans support the interim nuclear deal with Iran by a two-to-one margin, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. Some 44 percent of respondents backed the agreement, and 22 percent opposed it. When asked what Washington should do…
New Rouhani Video: He Mimics Obama in Yes We Can Message
To mark President Hassan Rouhani’s first 100 days in power, his supporters posted a music video that appears to be inspired by President Obama’s 2008 “Yes We Can” video. It is especially striking because music generally and female…
Rouhani’s 100 Days: As Told in His Tweets
On November 26, President Hassan Rouhani assessed his achievements during his first 100 days in office. Rouhani claimed progress in curbing inflation, relaxing government control on society, securing an interim nuclear deal and drafting a citizens’ rights charter. “We…
Kerry and Zarif: Selling the Deal in Video Pitches
The following are two videos featuring Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Kerry’s video pitch was posted on November 26. Zarif’s interview with Iranian state television was broadcast on November…
Geneva Deal I: Final Terms and Fact Sheet
On November 24, Iran and the world’s six major powers reached a historical interim agreement on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. Iran committed to halting the most sensitive aspects of its program and allowing expanded U.N. nuclear inspections in return for…
Geneva Deal II: President Obama on Merits of Talks
On November 23, President Barack Obama welcomed the agreement on Iran’s nuclear program as an important first step that would cut off Tehran’s most likely paths to a bomb while creating time and space for more negotiations. “…
Geneva Deal III: Iranian Reaction
Iran’s leaders have hailed the interim agreement as a victory and start of a new era for Tehran and its relations with the outside world. In a televised statement, President Hassan Rouhani called the nuclear deal an important “first…
Geneva Deal IV: Congressional Reaction
U.S. lawmakers issued wide-ranging reactions to the news of the interim agreement on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. Many senators and representatives were skeptical about Tehran’s intentions. “Apparently, America…
Geneva Deal V: Israel and the Gulf Reaction
On November 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the interim agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program, calling it a “historic mistake.” He argued that sanctions “have been given up in exchange for cosmetic Iranian…
Geneva Deal VI: Experts on Terms
The following briefs analyze the terms of the interim deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. International Crisis Group The Iran Nuclear Accord: First Step in a Long Journey …
Geneva Deal VII: Nuclear Diplomacy in Iranian Tweets
The chain of events that ultimately produced Iran’s nuclear deal with the world’s six major powers played out in a string of tweets between June 17 and November 24. The tweets began shortly after President Hassan Rouhani’s election…
The Iran Deal: A Humanizing Breakthrough
Robin Wright In 1981, I stood at the foot of the plane that flew the 52 Americans held hostage 444 days in Iran to freedom in Algiers. They were all pasty-faced and captive-weary as they disembarked into the cold January night.…
Breaking Taboos
The following article was originally published as Viewpoints No. 45 by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Haleh Esfandiari …
US Polls on Iran Nuclear Deal
Nearly two-thirds of Americans support an agreement with Iran that would lift sanctions in return for Tehran restricting its nuclear program, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Some 72 percent of Democrats surveyed…
Obama Briefs Congress, Appeals on Iran Deal
On November 19, President Barack Obama appealed to key Democratic and Republican senators to support an interim deal on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. In a statement issued afterwards, the White House said "The initial, 6-…
Political Cartoons Reflect US-Iran Gap
The new diplomatic initiative between Iran and the world’s six major powers has inspired cynical political cartoonists on all sides. But the sharpest cartoons have run in the Iranian and American press. They reflect…
Geneva Round III: High Hopes, Deep Divide
On the eve of new talks, key players from Iran and the world’s six major powers remained firmly committed to rival positions but also expressed cautious optimism about an interim agreement. The third round takes place in Geneva…
Sanctions: How Much is Iran Hurting?
Sanctions are costing Iran some $5 billion a month —or $120 billion since 2008— according to senior U.S. officials. Overall, Tehran’s economy shrunk by five percent in 2012. Sanctions have also cut Iranian banks off from the international financial system, which has…
Long-Range Missiles a Decade Away
Iran is highly unlikely to deploy a long-range missile capable of reaching U.S. territory within the next decade, according to a new brief by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Tehran has two routes for developing an…
Obama Says No to New Sanctions for Now
On November 14, President Barack Obama urged Congress to give diplomacy a chance ahead of another round of talks with Iran. He also pledged to not lift key sanctions on the oil, banking and finance sectors as part of an interim deal…
Kerry to Congress: Allow Time for Talks
On November 14, Secretary of State John Kerry warned that passing new U.S. sanctions could encourage Iranian hardliners to undermine talks on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. They would “hold President [Hassan] Rouhani and…
UN Report: Iran Has Slowed Nuclear Program
Iran has virtually halted upgrading its uranium enrichment capacity, according to the latest quarterly report from the International Atomic Energy Agency. Since August, around the time President Hassan Rouhani took office, Tehran…
Part I: Opposition to a Deal - The Gulf
Robin Wright and Garrett Nada The new diplomacy between Iran and the world’s six major powers faces growing opposition from key players in the Middle East, including the oil-rich and influential Gulf states. The Sunni sheikhdoms are…