IranSource

Jan 30, 2019

Can Iran Help Reach a Lasting Peace in Afghanistan?

By Fatemeh Aman

Progress has been reported in peace talks between US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban, but without the participation of the Afghan government, it seems premature to assume that an agreement will be reached soon. Could Iran play a constructive role in achieving an end to America’s longest war? Despite their lack of diplomatic relations and enduring hostility, […]

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Jan 29, 2019

Glimmer of Hope in Iran for Long-Persecuted Baha’is?

By Tara Sepehri Far

The Iranian constitution after the 1979 revolution provides limited freedoms for religious minorities, and it does not recognize the Baha’i community, with more than 300,000 members in the country. Instead, for four decades, the Islamic Republic has routinely harassed, prosecuted, and imprisoned Baha’is solely for practicing their faith. Among other things, the government severely restricts Baha’is […]

Iran

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Jan 28, 2019

Persia is back, but in a different form

By Kayhan Barzegar

A powerful trend at the international level—led by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia—is trying to sell the idea that Iran’s active regional presence, together with its missile program and location at several of the world’s geostrategic chokepoints, is an attempt to restore the Persian Empire and is a fundamental danger to global security. […]

Iran

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Jan 25, 2019

Israel and Iran Exchange Blows in Syria: A View From Israel

By Shemuel Meir

The January 20 Israeli attack on an Iranian weapons shipment delivery near the Damascus airport in Syria led to a quick and exceptional succession of events that could have easily brought both sides to the brink of war.  Iran reacted with a missile launch at the Golan Heights. Israel then responded with an attack on […]

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Jan 18, 2019

What’s Behind the Middle East Summit in Poland?

By Robert Czulda

The US announcement that an international summit on the security and stability of the Middle East will be held February 13 and 14 in Warsaw was as shocking as it was unexpected, not only for Iranians but also for Poles. Poland is an important political and military ally of the United States and Polish energy […]

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Jan 15, 2019

How the exiled Iranian opposition may actually Be helping the Iranian regime

By Maysam Behravesh

The Islamic Republic of Iran has no shortage of opposition groups, many with adherents in the large Iranian diaspora. From the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) to secular republicans to ethnic separatist organizations, they are all bent on overthrowing the Iranian regime and replacing it with what they claim will be a more inclusive system. Despite this […]

Iran

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Jan 14, 2019

Japan Strives to Keep Importing Iranian Oil Despite US Sanctions

By Sachi Sakanashi

Japan’s energy policy towards Iran has been an area of struggle for independence from the United States for four decades. Even when Japan tried to pursue its own energy policy towards Iran, the US has generally had the final say. From Japan’s point of view, however, the US stance towards Japan-Iran energy relations has toughened […]

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Jan 11, 2019

Iran’s Reform Camp Is in Crisis

By Shahir Shahidsaless

The Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, can hardly be billed as a reformist. For that reason, he maintained his position as Iran’s Supreme Leader’s confidante while acting as his representative in the Iranian Supreme National Security Council for twenty-three years, from its inception until his first term election as president in 2013. Rouhani also escaped unscathed […]

Iran

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Jan 9, 2019

Iran protest movement births a new group, Iran Revival

By Alireza Nader

Iran has faced widespread demonstrations and acts of civil disobedience for more than one year. Even members of the elite, including the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and daughter of Hashemi Rafsanjani, have said that the collapse of the regime is an increasing possibility. The regime’s vulnerability has not only motivated existing opposition groups, but […]

Iran

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Jan 8, 2019

A Right-Wing Loyalist, Sadeq Larijani, Gains More Power in Iran

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

Following the death of Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi after a long illness, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has chosen the current head of the judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeq Larijani, to another powerful post: chairman of a council tasked with resolving disputes among government branches and potentially playing a role in selecting Khamenei’s successor. Shahroudi, who replaced […]

Iran