Sunday, March 8, 2026

ANALYSIS: IRGC Is Main Obstacle in Talks to Revive Iran Nuclear Deal

By Ahmad Rafat In the past few weeks, there have been intense discussions on whether the U.S. should remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) from its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) in the...

ANALYSIS: Iran-Saudi Talks Benefit Both Sides, As Well As China 

By Ahmad Rafat China’s role as a peace broker between Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is part of Beijing’s broader political and economic policies to strengthen its influence in the Middle East,...

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: Iran’s Zarif Concludes European Tour to Revive Nuclear Deal, Sell Oil

By Ahmad Rafat Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif concluded his tour of several European countries, which had begun in Damascus, with a visit to Dublin, in Northern Ireland. In what may be his last official...

Marjane Satrapi Releases ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Book With Fellow Illustrators

By Ahmad Rafat Seventeen Iranian and non-Iranian illustrators including Marjane Satrapi have released a book titled “Woman, Life, Freedom.” The book, originally published in French, has been translated into English and other languages, with Satrapi...

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’s Human Rights Violations Draw Global Condemnation

By Ahmad Rafat The Islamic Republic of Iran’s systematic and gross violations of human rights have once again captured global attention. On Sept. 2, Amnesty International released a comprehensive and damning 80-page report on the Islamic...

Protester Ahmad Batebi, Face of Iran’s 1999 Revolt, Speaks to Kayhan Life

By Ahmad Rafat Tehran University students staged a mass protest on July 9, 1999, after the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence shut down the Salam newspaper for publishing a secret memo by the former deputy intelligence...

ANALYSIS: Iran Nuclear Talks May Soon Resume

By Ahmad Rafat Enrique Mora, the European Union’s chief negotiator in the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — the Iran nuclear deal — traveled to Tehran on May...

Iranian Asylum Seekers in Turkey Face Potential Threat of Extradition to Iran 

By Ahmad Rafat The situation of Iranian refugees in Turkey is deteriorating, with Turkish authorities reportedly entering into secret agreements with the Islamic Republic to return some refugees to Iran. This has raised concerns that those...