Monday, February 23, 2026

ANALYSIS: Iran’s Elections Are Setback for Khamenei 

By Ahmad Rafat On June 28, Iran held an election to choose a successor for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19 while returning from a visit...

ANALYSIS: Why the U.S. Is Avoiding Direct Military Confrontation With Iran

By Ahmad Rafat The U.S. has launched a series of retaliatory strikes on the military bases of Iran-backed groups in the Middle East. The U.S. military has used its supersonic strategic heavy B1 bombers to...

At Venice Film Festival, Filmmaker Rasoulof Is On Main Competition Jury

By Ahmad Rafat The 82nd International Venice Film Festival is currently under way on Lido island in Venice. The event concludes on Sept. 6 with the announcement of the Golden Lion, the Silver Lion, and...

ANALYSIS: Iran Will Play No Role in Syria’s Future

By Ahmad Rafat When Syrian people poured into the streets on March 15, 2011, demanding sweeping political reforms, they did not expect their anti-government protests to spark a devastating civil war that still rages today. The...
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Documentary on Ukrainian Airliner Death, Directed by Mania Akbari, Screens in London

By Ahmad Rafat The London-based Iranian filmmaker Mania Akbari has shot a documentary about Elnaz Nabiyi, one of the 167 passengers who died when Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defense units shot down Ukrainian...

ANALYSIS: In Iran-U.S. Talks, Diplomacy and War Are Both On the Table

By Ahmad Rafat President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement on Monday April 7: that the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are holding direct talks and that a meeting at the highest...

ANALYSIS: With Trump Back In White House, U.S.’s Iran Policy Will Change

By Ahmad Rafat Donald Trump’s victory in the recent U.S. presidential elections and his return to the White House in January may lead to significant changes in the Middle East. While Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei...

Iran to Go On Trial at Aban Tribunal in London For Violent Suppression of...

By Ahmad Rafat Two years ago, protests broke out in Iran against the government’s massive fuel price hike. The protests quickly turned into a violent nationwide movement against the Islamic Republic, resulting in many deaths,...

ANALYSIS: Iran Employs Global Criminal Networks to Kill Opposition Figures

By Ahmad Rafat The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East following Israel’s recent missile and drone strikes on Lebanon and the deaths of Hezbollah military leaders, coupled with the detonation of communication devices...

ANALYSIS: What Role Did Iran’s New President Play in the 1988 Executions? 

By Ahmad Rafat Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati, better known as Ebrahim Raisi, will take office as the Islamic Republic’s eighth president on August 5. The June presidential elections have differed in many aspects from all previous ones. For...