News Digest

January 31 Nuclear: A senior State Department official said that negotiators “made progress narrowing down the list of differences to just the key priorities on all sides” during the eighth round of talks in Vienna on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. “And that’s why now is a time for political…

January 24 Diplomacy: Robert Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, told Reuters that restoring the 2015 nuclear deal was “very hard” to imagine “while four innocent Americans are being held hostage by Iran.” He, however, reiterated that the United States was pursuing each issue separately. “So…

January 9-10 Regional: On January 9, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hosted Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, in Tehran. Amir-Abdollahian reiterated Iran’s call for an inclusive government that reflects Afghanistan’s diverse religious and ethnic groups.…

January 3 Nuclear: The eighth round of diplomatic talks to return Iran and the United States to full compliance with the nuclear deal resumed after a brief pause for the New Year holiday. On the second day of talks, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Iran “to engage in good faith.” In…

December 8 Nuclear: British Foreign Minister Liz Truss urged Iran to recommit to the 2015 nuclear agreement. “This is really the last chance for Iran to sign up and I strongly urge them to do that because we are determined to work with our allies to prevent Iran securing nuclear weapons," she said…

November 29 Nuclear: The world’s six major powers and Iran opened the seventh round of talks on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal. Enrique Mora, the E.U. coordinator for negotiations, said that Iran agreed to build on the previous rounds. But Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s lead…

November 15 Domestic: A magnitude-five aftershock hit the Bandar Abbas region in southern Iran and caused one death. Two earthquakes had hit Iran one day earlier. Maritime: The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that an Iranian naval helicopter had circled the USS Essex in the Gulf of Oman on…

November 8 Nuclear/Diplomacy: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh outlined Iran’s demands for the United States ahead of the resumption of nuclear talks on November 29. Washington “must lift the oppressive sanctions completely and effectively.” And it must “guarantee that no…

October 25 Human Rights: Iran executed more than 250 people in 2020 and at least 230 in 2021 so far, the U.S. special rapporteur for Iran, Javaid Rehman, told the U.N. General Assembly. He noted that the regime had executed minors in both years. United States: Iran appeared to be responsible for…

September 27 Diplomacy: Iraqi officials said that Baghdad had hosted Iranian and Saudi officials for a fourth round of bilateral talks – the first round since President Ebrahim Raisi took office in August. The regional rivals severed diplomatic relations in 2016 after Saudi Arabia executed Nimr al…