Keyhan Kasravi

BERLIN—A series of events in recent weeks have made many political commentators conclude that Iran’s pro-democracy movement is becoming radicalized. The death of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri was the first event in this series. Ayatollah Montazeri was known as the spiritual leader of the Green Movement. He was a prominent figure during the early years of the revolution but was later sidelined because of his protests over the mass executions of political dissidents in Iran in the 1980s. In the 1990s, he became a serious critic of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. more»

Tara Mahtafar

WASHINGTON—The unprecedented violence in Iran seen in the December 27 Ashura protests—which was committed by the regime and the opposition—showcased the emboldened opposition movement’s capacity for civil disobedience as well as a decline in both the psychological and physical effectiveness of the regime’s repressive security forces. more»

Kevan Harris

Iran is not going to the 2010 World Cup, but there is another football being kicked around in the domestic Iranian media: the extent of poverty in Iran. more»

Ariana A. S.

TEHRAN/WASHINGTON—The demonstrations in Iran on December 7 show that the sacred image of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which was present for many years, is no longer taken for granted. Now, people do not fear calling him an unjust leader or even a dictator. They want him to know that he is no longer a legitimate religious leader in the eyes of the people. more»

Sadegh Zibakalam, who is a political science professor at Tehran University and a respected public intellectual, has been outspoken about the Iranian government’s reluctance to embrace overtures from President Barack Obama. Below is an interview insideIRAN.org conducted with him from his home in Tehran. more»