Ahmadinejad’s Mentor Sides with Khamenei
Arash Aramesh
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seems to be losing support among the clergy — even the hardliners who were once considered to be his close allies. more»
Media Analysis
Iran Celebrates Warming Ties with Egypt
Arash Aramesh
Iran’s state-run media are thrilled to cover statements made by Egyptian officials signaling an end to a three-decade-long hostility between the two countries. The Iranian government celebrated the collapse of former President Hosni Mubarak and has welcomed the idea of thawing Iran’s frozen relationship with Egypt. Many Iranian officials have called Egyptians “brothers” and have openly praised Egyptians for wanting to reevaluate their ties, or lack thereof, with Tehran. more»
An Angry Ahmadinejad Absent from Cabinet Meetings in Sign of Protest
Arash Aramesh
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disagreement with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the removal of the Minister of Intelligence remains unresolved. President Ahmadinejad has refused to participate in cabinet meetings while the Supreme Leader made it clear April 24 that he was not going to back down. Khamenei continued to support the Minister of Intelligence and said that he was not going to “let the revolution deviate” as long as he was alive. more»
Iranian Commander Urges Direct Intervention in Bahrain
Shayan Ghajar
While Bahrain expelled a senior Iranian diplomat on April 26, and Iran threatens to do the same in return, calls from Iran’s militias for direct involvement in the tiny island kingdom are intensifying. more»
Iran Attacks President Obama’s Speech, Advises Syria to Avoid Violence
Shayan Ghajar
On April 22, following a particularly bloody day in Syria resulting from crackdowns on protesters demanding greater freedom, President Obama accused Iran of actively supporting the Syrian government in its attacks upon its own citizens. “Instead of listening to their own people, President Assad is blaming outsiders while seeking Iranian assistance in repressing Syria’s citizens through the same brutal tactics that have been used by his Iranian allies,” President Obama asserted. Iran has responded to these accusations in a widely-disseminated statement by the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry. Simultaneously, however, Iran’s Foreign Ministry advised Bashar al-Assad to accede to protesters’ demands. more»