Keyhan Kasravi

BERLIN/TEHRAN—Since the rise of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the radical faction to power in the Islamic Republic in 2005, Iran’s nuclear issue and the possibile consequences of an Iran armed with nuclear weapons have received much more attention in the West than in the past. more»

Jasim Husain Ali

TEHRAN/BAGHDAD—Iran wields a great deal of influence in Iraq, extending beyond their long common border, for two primary reasons: both countries have few friends in the region, and they reap great benefits from their close relationship. more»

Geneive Abdo
Source: This was first published on foreignpolicy.com

Since the June 12 Iranian presidential election stirred massive anti-regime demonstrations, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his inner circle of hard-liners have used the armed forces — particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) — to suppress dissent. Western observers have commented on the country’s slide toward military dictatorship. Fareed Zakaria, for instance, devoted his Sunday news show to it this past week. But what was once a theory now seems commonly acceptable fact, as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s latest appointments to the IRGC demonstrate. more»

Anonymous

TEHRAN—With so many leading reformists sitting in Iranian prisons, two important issues have arisen for Iranians: Has the Green Movement, and the broader opposition that it represents, been crushed by the regime’s latest moves? And, how much time has the regime bought to guarantee its survival? more»

Dariush Zahedi

ISTANBUL—Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s decision to give unequivocal backing to the demands of hardliners in charge of ensuring Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s reelection and the generals’ monopoly over the nation’s key political and economic institutions is filled with risk. Although his choice in the matter may have been limited, Khamenei’s actions appear irrevocably to have alienated a vast cross-section of the Iranian population from the regime. more»