Archive
Interview with Yasmin Alem The daughter of the former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been sentenced to six months in prison on charges of "spreading propaganda against the ruling system." The trial of Faezeh Hashemi took place behind closed doors in December 2011. Hashemi is a… Read More
Interview with Michael Singh Iranian officials grabbed global headlines in recent days by threatening to close the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s traded oil passes. Iran sought to back up its threats by holding a 10-day military exercise in the Persian Gulf… Read More
Interview with Yasmin Alem What is Iran’s parliamentary election schedule until the March poll? Election activities began in December as Iran’s Election Commission announced that the Ministry of Interior established election headquarters in all 31 provinces. The key… Read More
On May 1, the White House issued a new Executive Order targeting foreign sanctions evaders. The following is a fact sheet on the Executive Order. Full links to the Executive Order and the letter to Congress are provided below. FACT SHEET: New executive order targeting foreign sanctions… Read More
Ted Wynne Over the past month, different branches of the Israeli government have taken widely diverse positions on Iran, its leadership and the state of its threat to Israel. Differences between senior political and military officials—present and past—are particularly… Read More
Ted Wynne Iran claims it is reproducing U.S. stealth technology less than five months after capturing an RQ-170 Sentinel drone, the most advanced unmanned surveillance aircraft. On April 22, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh told Iranian state television, “Our experts are fully dominant over sections and… Read More
On April 26, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on the new diplomatic effort with Iran. She made her remarks at an event hosted by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The following is an excerpt: By next January, when I will have traveled, I guess, a million miles or… Read More
On April 23, the White House issued a new Executive Order targeting “grave human rights abusers” in Iran and Syria. The following are key excerpts of the letter to Congress and links to both the full letter and the Executive Order. Letter to Congress I have determined that the commission… Read More
Alireza Nader What did Iran get out of the talks with the six major powers--U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany--at the first diplomatic meeting in Istanbul? Iran apparently took a constructive approach at the first round of talks, according to Western diplomats at the talks.… Read More
Michael Adler in Istanbul What happened during the talks? The most concrete result of the meeting in Istanbul on April 14 was a new round of talks scheduled for May 23 in Baghdad. The original goal was to re-start diplomacy between Iran and the world’s six major powers— Britain, China, France… Read More
European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton issued the following statement on behalf of the world's six major powers about the talks with Iran, which were held in Istanbul on April 14, 2012: The EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, together with the Political… Read More
The following is a collection of recent quotes from senior officials in Iran, the United States, and Israel about the new diplomatic initiative to resolve disputes over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. The world’s six major powers—the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia… Read More
Annika Folkeson Trade is still thriving between the United States and Iran, despite harsh international sanctions. In 2011, Iran imported $229 million worth of American goods, everything from beauty products to bull semen, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics. And sales have continued… Read More
U.S. and Israeli pollsters have recently surveyed public opinion about either an Israeli or U.S. attack on Iran’s suspected nuclear facilities. The questions in the following nine Israeli and American polls feature different timeframes and options. Five U.S. public opinion polls Reuters… Read More
On March 30, President Obama issued the following memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Energy. By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, after carefully considering the report… Read More
The Congressional Research Service issued a report on March 28 entitled “Israel: Possible Military Strike Against Iran’s Nuclear Facilities.” It concludes that Iran could replace key centrifuge facilities within six months of a possible military strike. It also quotes sources who suggest that… Read More
On March 27, the Treasury Department designated an Iranian airline and officials for exporting lethal aid to the Levant and Africa. The following is the Treasury Department's statement. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the designation of… Read More
President Obama at Hankuk University, Seoul, South Korea, March 26 Under the NPT, Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear energy. In fact, time and again the international community—including the United States—has offered to help Iran develop nuclear energy peacefully. But… Read More
Annika Folkeson Israel and Iran may be nearing confrontation over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program, but Israeli graphic designer Ronnie Edry has launched a quirky campaign to build peace with the Iranian public. It’s logo is “We (heart) you.” It’s message, posted on Facebook and Youtube,… Read More
On March 20, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued the following statement on Significant Reductions of Iranian Crude Oil Purchases: I am pleased to announce that an initial group of eleven countries has significantly reduced their volume of crude oil purchases from Iran -- Belgium, the… Read More
Remarks of President Obama Marking Nowruz Today, Michelle and I extend our best wishes to all those who are celebrating Nowruz around the world. In communities and homes from America to southwest Asia, families and friends are coming together to celebrate the hope that comes with renewal… Read More
The following is an excerpt from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s message on March 20 to mark Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. I would like to congratulate all my dear countrymen across the nation, all Iranians who are living in different parts of the world and all other nations who celebrate Nowruz [… Read More
Fact Sheet: Treasury interpretive guidance and statement of licensing policy on internet freedom in Iran WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today issued guidance and licensing information to further support the free flow of… Read More
Mehdi Khalaji Who were the winners and losers in this election? The most important result of this election was the rise of a new generation of hardliners. It did not have a serious presence in parliament before the election. The new hardline faction is led by Ayatollah… Read More
On March 15, the global financial service, SWIFT, decided to cut ties with Iranian banks. The following is SWIFT’s statement. See below for a statement by the Treasury Under Secretary David S. Cohen. Brussels, 15 March 2012 – Following an EU Council decision, SWIFT is today… Read More
At a joint White House press conference on March 14, President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron commented on the new diplomatic effort with Iran by the world’s six major powers. President Obama: We also discussed the continuing threat posed by Iran’s failure to meet its… Read More
A new poll finds that only one in four Americans favors Israel conducting a military strike against Iran's nuclear program. Seven in ten (69%) favor the US and other major powers continuing to pursue negotiations with Iran, a position that is supported by majorities of Republicans (58%), Democrats… Read More
President Obama commented extensively on Iran at a White House news conference on March 6, 2012. "Because sanctions are starting to have significant effect inside of Iran -- and that's not just my assessment, that's, I think, a uniform assessment -- because the sanctions are going to be even… Read More
A new report by the U.N. Special Rapporteur for human rights in Iran issued a new report on March 6, 2012. It concluded:
The Special Rapporteur has catalogued allegations that produce a striking pattern of violations of fundamental human rights guaranteed under international law. He restates his… Read More
On March 7, the Treasury Department designated Iranian Qods Force General overseeing Afghan Heroin trafficking through Iran. The following is the Treasury Department’s statement. WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated Iranian Islamic Revolutionary… Read More