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Jun 25, 2018

EU-OFAC: A New Mechanism to Help Salvage the Iran Deal

By Axel Hellman

The US decision to withdraw unilaterally from the Iran nuclear deal and pursue a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran is pushing Europe to find creative new ways to preserve economic relations with Iran and thus salvage the agreement. One idea, floated by the French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, is the establishment of a European version […]

European Union International Organizations

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Jun 20, 2018

Iran Postpones Key Bank Reforms Over Fate of the Iran Deal

By Farhad Rezaei

A priority for those in Iran seeking re-integration into the international economy has been banking reforms that conform to globally accepted standards. But hardline factions oppose the reforms as surrender to US-led financial institutions and their views have been reinforced by the US decision to unilaterally leave the Iran nuclear deal. On June 10, the […]

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Jun 18, 2018

How Recent Protests Could Revive Ahmadinejad’s Fortunes in Iran

By Giorgia Perletta

Until recently, few observers inside or outside Iran gave much weight to the notion of a comeback for discredited former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The disqualification of Ahmadinejad and his former top aide, Esfandiyar Rahim Mashaei, for the presidency in 2017, followed by the arrests of Mashaei and former vice president Hamid Baghaei on charges of […]

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin at Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on June 25, 2012.

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Jun 15, 2018

The Art of the (Russian-Israeli) Deal

By Ehud Eiran

On June 1, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya told the press that he “believes” that his country and Israel reached an agreement regarding “certain disengagement in the southwest of Syria.” Other sources reported that the agreement will include the withdrawal of Iranian and Iranian-backed forces from the Syrian-Israeli border in return for implicit […]

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Jun 14, 2018

Trump’s Iran Policy: From the Art of the Deal to the Mirage of Regime Change

By Manochehr Dorraj and Mahmood Monshipouri

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used his first speech in his new position on May 21, 2018, to send a message to the Iranian leadership and people. Pompeo laid out twelve demands including ending Iran’s ballistic missiles development, halting support for Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian groups including Hamas, allowing nuclear inspectors “unqualified access to […]

European Union International Organizations

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Jun 13, 2018

Cracks in Iran-Russia Alliance in Syria Widen as War Winds Down

By Farhad Rezaei

As the Syrian government increasingly consolidates control over its territory after seven years of civil strife, cracks are widening between its key external supporters, Iran and Russia. The issue of Syria’s future has generated a heated debate among political elites in Tehran and in Farsi media over Iran’s continued military presence and how it can […]

Iran Russia

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Jun 11, 2018

US Withdrawal from Iran Deal Hits Young Iranians Hard

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy

When Iran reached a landmark nuclear agreement with the international community in 2015, Iranian youth were especially happy. After struggling with sanctions and isolation for many years, young people hoped their country was entering a new chapter in which it would be seen as a constructive actor on the international stage. They were proud of […]

Iran

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Jun 8, 2018

Why Internet Freedom in Iran is More Important Than Ever

By Holly Dagres

A female truck driver in a burgundy headscarf stood on the side of a highway to Mashhad, explaining in a video sent to Voice of America Persian that she was joining a truck driver strike. It wasn’t long before the video and others like it caught the attention of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). […]

Iran

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Jun 7, 2018

Sanctions or Self-Sabotage? The story of Iran’s oil industry

By Ellen Wald

Following the lifting of international sanctions in January 2016, there was a great deal of optimism for Iran’s oil economy. Even though the global oil industry was a year into a price collapse, many companies were eager to explore investment opportunities in Iran’s neglected oil and gas assets. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and Iran’s oil […]

Iran Oil and Gas

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Jun 6, 2018

US Asian Allies Should Take a More Active Role in Preserving the Iran Deal

By Sirous Amerian

In negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Barack Obama administration had goals beyond non-proliferation. It was seeking to “pivot” to Asia and to reduce US military involvement in the Persian Gulf that dates back to the 1979 Iranian revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. This goal, which was ennunciated before Obama […]

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