Hossein Askari
WASHINGTON — The loud debate on economic conditions in Iran seems to be going around in circles. Are sanctions pushing the Tehran regime into a corner or are subsidies doing the damage? Will the removal of subsidies improve Iran’s economic conditions or make them worse? Is the regime removing subsidies now because it feels secure or because it feels threatened? Do Iran’s economic conditions affect its commitment to its nuclear program or not? Is it time to ramp up the sanctions on Iran or to relax them and push engagement? more»
Farzad Farhangian was a 23-year veteran of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He held a number of diplomatic posts in various European countries, including France. In September of 2010, Mr. Farhangian, serving as the Second Consul in the Islamic Republic’s Embassy in Brussels, defected to Norway in a sign of protest to the policies of the Iranian government. He spoke to Arash Aramesh of InsideIRAN.org about the upcoming nuclear talks in Istanbul. more»
Ashkan Parsa
TEHRAN–President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has intensified his campaign to increase his executive powers and weaken the position of the Iranian parliament. The president wants less oversight by the parliament so he can increase the administration’s influence and dominance on the legislative and the judicial branches. Currently, the parliament is controlled by conservatives, the same political family from which Ahmadinejad was born. But these so-called traditional conservatives are opposed to many of Ahmadinejad’s policies, especially the administration’s economic and cultural programs. Their main concern is Ahmadinejad’s lack of respect for the constitution and the president’s implementation of programs that are unconstitutional. more»
Babak
TEHRAN– Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, Tehran’s chief prosecutor, said last December 31 that leaders of the “sedition” should be tried. He insisted that Mir Hossein Moussavi and Mehdi Karroubi will soon face a trial for their alleged crimes. But while these words might seem alarming particularly coming from Tehran’s highest judicial official, they should not shock anyone. more»
Mohammad Reza Heidari, a former high-ranking Iranian diplomat in Norway, announced in December 2009 that he was quitting the foreign ministry and not returning to Tehran. He now lives in Oslo, where he spoke with Arash Aramesh of insideIRAN.org about Mottaki’s firing.
Q: Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Manouchehr Mottaki was suddenly removed today. Did this surprise you and your friends in Iran’s diplomatic community? more»