Shayan Ghajar
As tensions between Iran and the United States reach levels unprecedented in recent years, the United States seeks to pressure nations and corporations with a stake in Iran’s oil industry to join in an embargo on the Islamic Republic’s most lucrative source of revenue. more»
Staff
The Iranian response to the recent IAEA report has been quick, dismissive, and defiant.
Lawmakers, politicians, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp commanders have bluntly attacked the report and questioned the credibility and independence of the IAEA, charging the Agency with illegally conducting its proceedings and accepting fabricated evidence. All have vehemently reiterated a commitment to the continuing progress of Iran’s nuclear program. more»
Shayan Ghajar
On October 16, in an otherwise unremarkable and routine speech, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dropped a potent political bomb by suggesting that Iran could easily transition from a system with a presidency to a parliamentary-based system with an appointed prime minister. The comment, however brief, was certainly intended as a major warning to the politically rebellious faction spearheaded by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and may even indicate a sincere intent to abolish the presidency in Iran. Indeed, a number of statements by powerful elites before and after Khamenei’s speech seem to lend credence to the idea that Ahmadinejad may be one of Iran’s last presidents.
more»
Europe Joins U.S. in Silence over Human Rights Violations in Iran
Edith Novy
Even now, when it seems Iran has rejected the nuclear deal drafted in October in Vienna, the U.S. government and European states are surprisingly mute about Iran’s lack of cooperation as well as the human rights violations committed against the opposition. Western governments had hoped for Iranian compromises on the nuclear issue, if the Islamic republic were not pressured on other fronts.
Although the European Union released a statement on October 26, stating that it is “very concerned” about the arrests of Iranian journalists, human rights activists, and members of the opposition, individual leaders have remained reluctant to comment on Iran’s behavior.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=PESC/09/119&format=HTML&aged=0&language=DE&guiLanguage=en
As for President Barack Obama, he finds himself in an uncomfortable position: By making the nuclear negotiations with Iran a priority and by not condemning the human rights violations in Iran, he has exposed himself to criticism from human rights groups, the Iranian opposition, and civil society organizations, which recently even urged the U.N. General Assembly to condemn the Iranian government. http://www.iranhumanrights.org/2009/11/unletter/
Obama is under heavy pressure to prevent the nuclear negotiations from officially failing. Considering Iran’s sensitivity about Western powers meddling in their domestic affairs, he does not want to risk the possibility of Iran backing out of the nuclear talks due to criticism over its human rights record.
Immediately after the Iranian presidential election on June 12, European leaders condemned the violence inside Iran, whereas the White House remained fairly cautious.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/europe-iran-sarkozy-italy
But recently, the European Union appears to have changed its strategy and followed Obama’s lead. France is the exception; it has remained steadfast in its criticism of the questionable re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the repression that followed.
So why did European states change their position and refrain from criticizing Iran on its human rights violations?
As Natalie Nougayrède rightly pointed out in her recent article in the French newspaper Le Monde, one of the priorities of the Western strategy is to appear unified against Iran– at least outwardly among major powers dealing with the nuclear issue. http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2009/11/14/les-chancelleries-occidentales-constatent-l-impasse-diplomatique-avec-l-iran_1267179_3218.html
European states want Iran to think that the military option is still on the table, and thus reach an agreement with Western states over its nuclear program.
Europe understands that Obama is currently under heavy pressure from several sides. It is this solidarity that appears to keep European leaders from raising their voices on human rights.
There is also another reason as well: European investment in Iran. Tehran Times, a state-run daily newspaper, reported at the end of August that 30 companies from nine European states have been negotiating with Iran and some have signed trade agreements with the Islamic republic. In view of this economic relationship, it is apparent that Europe has much to gain from trade ties with Iran.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=202009
Iran’s leadership seems to welcome Europe’s silence on human rights. During talks with the Swedish Ambassador to Iran, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for European affairs, Ali Ahani, played hardball. While stating that Iran would “welcome friendly ties with European countries, including Sweden,” he also warned that “Europe should not try to impose its model of human rights on the entire world.” http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=110213§ionid=351020101