ANALYSIS: Who Is Khamenei’s Choice for President?
By Ahmad Rafat
Iran is to hold a presidential election on June 28 to find a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19. The incident also claimed the lives...
ANALYSIS: Iran’s Strategy in Hamas’s War Against Israel
By Ahmad Rafat
Hamas’s unprecedented air and ground attacks against Israel on Oct. 8 shocked everyone and surprised Israeli intelligence agencies, famous for their capabilities and competence. The significance of Israeli intelligence being blindsided by...
ANALYSIS: Taliban Comeback Will Shift Balance of Power in the Region
By Ahmad Rafat
The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan at lightning speed last week — 20 years after U.S. military forces removed them from power. Their return and territorial gains in such a short time...
European Banks Fined for Violating U.S. Sanctions on Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
On April 15, one of Italy’s biggest lenders UniCredit SpA and two of its subsidiaries settled a two-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Treasury by agreeing to pay $1.3 billion...
ANALYSIS: A Make-or-Break Moment in the Iran Nuclear Talks?
By Ahmad Rafat
The main parties in the talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the Iran nuclear deal — will resume their negotiations in Vienna on Feb. 5.
After the...
ANALYSIS: Disbanding Morality Police Won’t Stop Iranians Urging Regime Change
By Ahmad Rafat
International media have reported extensively on recent ambiguous comments by Iran’s Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri, suggesting that the country had disbanded its morality police (the Guidance patrol).
Mr. Montazeri made those comments...
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Fighter for Iran-Backed Hezbollah Speaks to Kayhan Life
By Ahmad Rafat
In recent months, several mid-ranking fighters of the Iran-backed Hezbollah organization in Lebanon have left, citing the Islamic Republic’s control over the movement, its involvement in the Syrian conflict and its support...
VIDEO: Islamic Republic Officials Are Accused of Crimes Against Humanity
By Ahmad Rafat
After a year of investigating the brutal repression of the participants in the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement, the United Nations Independent Fact-Finding Committee has presented the results of its investigation at the...
Islamic Republic Executed 834 People In 2023, Up 43% From 2022, Report Says
By Ahmad Rafat
The Iranian authorities intensified their use of the death penalty in the aftermath of nationwide protests, executing a staggering 834 people in 2023, a 43 percent increase from the year before, according...
ANALYSIS: Europe Is Reluctant to Designate IRGC As A Terrorist Organization
By Ahmad Rafat
European governments are in the process of deciding whether to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
On Jan. 18, the European Parliament overwhelmingly supported a proposal urging the...
