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IranSource

Apr 23, 2021

‘Poison pill sanctions’ are hard for Vienna negotiators to swallow

By Brian O’Toole

“Poison pill sanctions,” a large list of sanctions that would have been allowed under the 2015 nuclear accord, are clearly the sticking point in the ongoing negotiations and the focus of the technical working groups in Vienna.

Economic Sanctions Iran

IranSource

Apr 21, 2021

More questions than answers about Iran’s nuclear intentions

By Frederic C. Hof

If negotiations aimed at reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear talks fail and economic sanctions on Iran remain in place, would Tehran seek to field nuclear weapons?

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Apr 20, 2021

Who is afraid of Iran’s Faezeh Hashemi?

By Arash Azizi

Faezeh Hashemi could make a terrific presidential candidate for the Iran of 2021. All the more reason why Ayatollah Khamenei and the authorities will not let her anywhere near power.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Apr 16, 2021

Israel’s ‘shadow’ war with Iran risks playing out in the open

By Sina Azodi

After the Donald Trump administration quit the deal in May 2018, Israel escalated a shadow war with Iran to disrupt Iranian shipping and retard Iran’s nuclear advances, as the Islamic Republic had stopped implementing its JCPOA commitments in response. That war has now come increasingly into the open.

Politics & Diplomacy

IranElections2021

Apr 14, 2021

Iran’s botched handling of the coronavirus may impact June election

By Masoud Mostajabi

Given the economic uncertainty, unrest in the upcoming election season is possible. An excessive vaccination fee, rumors of nepotism as the vaccination programs roll out, black market distribution of vaccines, or distribution of fake vaccines could ignite a wildfire—especially under current circumstances.

Coronavirus Iran

IranElections2021

Apr 12, 2021

Iran’s June elections could consolidate hardline power before Khamenei succession

By Anonymous

For hardliners in Iran, the June 18 presidential election is less about choosing a new executive branch chief than about consolidating power centers before the time comes to choose Iran’s real ruler: the next Supreme Leader.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Apr 8, 2021

‘Here’s the (Iran) deal, folks’: Americans are fine with a return to the JCPOA

By Barbara Slavin

Thanks to the fact that the Donald Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA has been such an obvious and abysmal failure, a majority of Americans now support the original deal.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Apr 6, 2021

Ebrahim Raisi: Will he stay or will he go?

By Sanam Vakil

In calculating his next acts, Raisi’s decision will undoubtedly reveal his appetite for risk and further reward in Iran’s notoriously factionalized system.

Iran Middle East

IranElections2021

Apr 2, 2021

Social media helps and hurts Iranian elections. Here’s how.

By Amir Rashidi

The internet has always been one of the most challenging issues for the Iranian government, especially during elections. Over the past three years alone, Iran has tried to meet this challenge on numerous occasions by shutting down the internet during nationwide protests or blocking popular apps and websites.

Iran Middle East

IranSource

Mar 31, 2021

How Iranian Phantoms pulled off one of the most daring airstrikes in recent memory

By Sina Azodi and Ali Dadpay

On April 4, 1981, eight F-4 Phantom fighter bombers conducted a daring airstrike on three airbases deep inside Iraqi territory.

Iran Middle East