Mr. Mousavi Khoeini is a former member of the Iranian parliament and a visiting scholar at Stanford University. He spoke with insideIRAN.org from Washington, D.C..
Q: How do you interpret Supreme Leader Khamenei’s recent statements? Do you think he is welcoming moderate conservatives back into the fold? What do you think is his view now of Hashemi Rafsanjani? more»
Babak
TEHRAN– After almost seven months of political hegemony for the hardliners, orchestrated by and centered around the political command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, the moderate conservatives are now back at center stage of Iran’s political scene. more»
Riccardo Redaelli
COMO, Italy—If proper “timing and tuning” are essential during negotiations, over the past decade, neither Washington nor Tehran has managed to tune their political mood into the same wavelength. When the Islamic Republic was ready to enter into negotiations, the White House was not, and vice-versa. more»
Babak
TEHRAN –The comprehensive elections bill will be discussed in detail on the floor of the Expediency Council in the next two weeks. The discussion about reforming election laws in Iran is not a new one. In the past, and in particular during the years of reform, efforts were made to reform the existing laws, but it faced fierce resistance from the Guardian Council and thus it remained in the background. more»
Hossein Askari
WASHINGTON—In Washington, politicians and Iran experts have been pounding the table for what they claim to be the mother of all sanctions on Iran—a gasoline embargo. While in Tehran, Ahmadinejad and his supporters dare President Obama to go ahead and impose a gasoline embargo on Iran. They claim Iran has adequate gasoline storage and enhanced gasoline production capacity to withstand an embargo. Is there substance to Iranian claims? Would a gasoline embargo bring the Tehran regime to its knees? more»
Shayan Ghajar
Events the past few weeks in Turkey indicate that a sea change is occurring in the nation’s domestic politics. Prime Minister Erdogan’s maneuvering against the traditionally untouchable military marks a new phase in Turkey’s history. This shift in Turkey’s domestic politics follows a more gradual but no less relevant shift in its foreign policy, and likely indicates even greater changes to come. Mutual trade, investment, and tourism are growing between Turkey and Iran, and the two nations are increasingly in accord on three of the regions biggest security issues, namely the Middle East peace process, Iran’s nuclear program, and Kurdish separatism. more»
Shayan Ghajar
The low turnout and disorganization of Green Movement protestors on February 11, Iran’s 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, highlighted the weaknesses of the opposition’s approach in the face of intensifying pressures from the government. However, while the Green Movement may have suffered its first significant blow from the government last Thursday, both the leadership and grassroots supporters appear to be returning to their original strategy of decentralizing their protests. more»
Shayan Ghajar
The Iranian government intensified its internet filters and communications blackouts on February 11, 2010. The day marks the 31-year anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and is witnessing massive demonstrations both for and against the government. Getting news out of the country is increasingly difficult for Iranians as the government clamped down on communications systems ranging from text messaging to email services. In previous protests, opposition supporters organized demonstrations on various social networking sites, and published videos and accounts of protests online in defiance of strict regulations on domestic and foreign press in Iran. more»