http://www.insideiran.org insideIRAN Thu, 17 May 2012 12:08:44 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Editor’s Note: InsideIran’s Reza Akbari conducted an interview with Ehsan Mehrabi, a prominent Iranian journalist, about the impact of parliamentary elections and the future of the presidency in Iran. Q: Considering that the parliamentary elections on March 2 and the second round on May 3 produced the desired outcome for the ... http://www.insideiran.org/featured/qa-results-of-parliamentary-polls-give-regime-confidence-to-hold-presidential-election/ Reza H. Akbari Some Iranian parliamentary members condemned the possibility of a security agreement between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain by labeling it as “foolish.” On Monday, 190 MPs signed a statement on the floor of the 290-member Iranian parliament, which clearly indicated the country’s concerns about a potential unity agreement between Saudi ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/iran-condemns-saudi-arabia-bahrain-unity-talks/ Reza H. Akbari Tehran’s mayor, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, stated that his office is trying to take possession of the notorious Evin Prison and move it to another location. During the opening ceremony of a flower and plant exhibition in Tehran on Sunday, Qalibaf stated, “Some agreements have been made to move Evin ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/evin-prison-will-turn-into-green-space/ Reza H. Akbari The Afghan parliament has accused Abolfazl Zohrevand, Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan, of interfering in the country’s internal affairs over Kabul’s strategic pact with Washington. According to the BBC Persian Service, the Afghan law makers claimed the Iranian ambassador met with the head of the Afghan senate, Fazal Hadi ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/iran-demonstrates-objections-to-afghan-us-strategic-pact/ Reza H. Akbari With less than a month remaining until the second round of the parliamentary elections in Iran, unofficial competition over choosing the next speaker of the parliament has begun between political parties. According to the BBC Persian Service, Morteza Agha Tehrani, the secretary general of the Unwavering Front, a coalition ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/competition-begins-for-speakership-of-the-parliament/ Hadi Kahalzadeh A recent conflict between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Iranian parliament over the annual budget has highlighted the government’s flawed economic policies, which according to a study conducted by the Iranian Parliament’s research service, are more damaging than tough international sanctions imposed on Tehran. The Iranian government has tried to ... http://www.insideiran.org/news/an-economic-impasse-highlights-iran%e2%80%99s-broader-political-conflict/ Reza H. Akbari After a three-year absence, the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attended the meeting of the Expediency Council, headed by the influential cleric and former president Hashemi Rafsanjani. According to Fars News, a semi-official news agency close to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, on April 21, Hashemi Rafsanjani thanked Ahmadinejad for ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/ahmadinejad-attends-expediency-council-meeting-after-three-years/ Reza H. Akbari Following talks about Iran’s nuclear program in Istanbul, world powers and Iranian officials seem optimistic about future engagements. In an interview with the Iranian state television on April 15, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Ali Akbari Salehi, stated: “We had already repeatedly stated that this meeting will certainly be a ... http://www.insideiran.org/media-analysis/iran-appears-optimistic-about-nuclear-talks/ Geneive Abdo and Sebastian Graefe Editor’s note: This article first appeared on foreignpolicy.com. BERLIN - If at one time European governments believed the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran was far more frightening for the United States than for those across the Atlantic, those days are in the past. As talks near on ... http://www.insideiran.org/news/iran-diplomacy-letter-from-berlin/ Reza H. Akbari Following an exhausting dance, the Iranian government has finally agreed to P5+1 nuclear negotiations in Istanbul on April 14. However, the mixed messages coming from Tehran are causing many observers to question the country’s motives and forthrightness. A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced on Monday ... http://www.insideiran.org/nuclear-program/iranian-regime-appears-conflicted-ahead-of-nuclear-talks/