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: The Outcome of Hamas-Israel War Is Uncertain
By Ahmad Rafat
Israel has said that its ground offensive will destroy Hamas in the Gaza Strip. While Israel will most likely win the military war against Hamas, it has no clear plan for administering...
Iranian Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Receives Award for Campaign Against Death Penalty
By Ahmad Rafat
The Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, was awarded the Robert Badinter Award at the 8th World Congress Against the Death Penalty on Nov. 18 in Berlin.
The event was sponsored by the...
ANALYSIS: Europe Distances Itself from Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
Germany, Britain, and France have warned that they will withdraw from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), better known as the Iran nuclear deal, if Tehran were to continue to...
ANALYSIS: How Accurate Are Opinion Surveys of Iranians Conducted From Abroad?
By Ahmad Rafat
On Feb. 24, the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy Center for International and Security Studies (CISSM) published a study titled “Iranian Public Opinion in the Biden Era,” which, according to...
Iranian Film Professionals Boycott Islamic Republic’s Fajr Festival
By Ahmad Rafat
A significant number of people in the Iranian film industry have said that they will not attend the 41st Fajr International Film Festival, which is being held between Feb. 1 and 11...
ANALYSIS: Israel’s Attack on Iran Paves the Way For Future Military Actions
By Ahmad Rafat
In the early morning hours of Oct. 26, Israel launched a series of attacks on facilities across three provinces in Iran as a retaliation for the missile strike conducted by the Islamic...
ANALYSIS: U.S. Expected to Revisit Iran Nuclear Deal
By Ahmad Rafat
The expectation is that U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and his appointee for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken — together with National Security Advisor Designate Jake Sullivan — will revisit the 2015 Joint...
Iranian Filmmakers, Actors Win Major Awards At Festivals In Lugano, Tokyo
By Ahmad Rafat
The 10th Lugano Human Rights Film Festival, held from 19 to 29 October, awarded Iranian director Manijeh Hekmat with the Human Rights Author 2023 prize.
Iranian filmmakers also shined at the 36th Tokyo...
ANALYSIS: Iran and China’s Controversial 25-Year Deal
By Ahmad Rafat
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi signed a 25-year accord between the two countries on March 27 in Tehran. Many Iranians inside and outside the country...
