Shayan Ghajar
The recent collapse of Lebanon’s unity government under the leadership of Saad Hariri leaves a leadership void that Iran intends to fill, as statements from Iranian officials and military commanders demonstrate. Although Iran faced opposition to its influence in Lebanese politics during Saad Hariri’s tenure both within Lebanon itself and internationally, events indicate that the Islamic Republic’s ability to dictate Lebanon’s future is rising. more»
Shayan Ghajar
While nations of the P5+1 prepare for another round of talks with Iran on January 21 and 22, hopes seem to be fast fading that any agreement will be reached on Iran’s controversial nuclear program. While Western states appear to be pushing for additional sanctions on Iran before talks have begun, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly declared that the nuclear program will not be up for discussion. more»
Shayan Ghajar
Update: Following the publication of this article Jan. 3, Nasrine Sotoudeh received an 11-year sentence for her civil rights activities. Another prominent activist, Shiva Nazar Ahari, received a sentence of 4 years, 74 lashes, and exile to a provincial prison. The crackdown on women’s rights activists continues to intensify in severity and scope. more»
Arash Aramesh
Since the publication of US State Department’s wires and cables on WikiLeaks, the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has tried to downplay the importance of revealed documents, especially those dealing with senior Arab leaders requesting military attacks by the US against Iranian targets. Meanwhile, President Ahmadinejad accused the US of being behind the WikiLeaks scandal and claimed that the US was waging a “psychological war” against the Islamic Republic. more»
Shayan Ghajar
On October 29 the United Nations General Assembly received a draft resolution (pdf file) signed by over three dozen nations censuring Iran for human rights abuses. The resolution did not shy away from highlighting Iran’s more flagrant abuses of human rights, including “torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including flogging and amputations,” executions of children, stoning and strangulation, misogyny, and ethnic and religious discrimination, among other abuses. more»
