Sunday, March 15, 2026

ANALYSIS: How Iran-EU Relations Are Strained by Terrorism and Sanctions 

By Ahmad Rafat The European Union announced a new set of sanctions on January 8 against a particular unit of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and against two individuals -- Asadollah Assadi and Saeed Hashemi Moghadam...

EXCLUSIVE: The Sweet Destiny of Arash Sobhani, The Kiosk Band Leader Speaks to...

By Ahmad Rafat Arash Sobhani is the founder of the pioneering Iranian rock group Kiosk. An architecture graduate, he formed his band before moving to the U.S. Kiosk was one of the prominent bands in...

ANALYSIS: Iran May Have to Negotiate With U.S. If It Loses Europe’s Support

By Ahmad Rafat U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has repeatedly said that the purpose of the new and stricter sanctions against Iran, which went into effect on November 5, was to “get the government...

Banned Iranian Directors Are In Competition For Top Berlin Film Festival Prize

By Ahmad Rafat A movie by two Iranian directors currently facing a travel ban is in competition for the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, or Berlinale, which is due to be held from Feb....

Women and the Presidential Election

April 19, 2017 By Ahmad Rafat The fate of 1,636 candidates who have registered in the 12th presidential election is now in the hands of the Guardian Council. Meanwhile, many believe that the disqualification of the...
A Man Holds a Burning Scarecrow

ANALYSIS: How Iran Has Turned Itself Into a Pariah State 

By Ahmad Rafat Every action taken by the Islamic Republic in the past year has secured the regime’s status as a pariah state. These include scaling back its commitments to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan...

ANALYSIS: Strikes Threaten Survival of Islamic Republic

By Ahmad Rafat The nationwide protests in Iran, sparked by the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of the morality police on Sept. 16 in Tehran, have entered...

Tate Modern Shows Iranian Photography Since the Revolution

By Ahmad Rafat A new exhibition at Tate Modern showcases a vast collection of images by prominent Iranian photographers who documented the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War. “Iranian Photobooks: From Revolution To War”...

Attempted Killing Of Spanish Politician Raises Questions About Islamic Republic’s Role

By Ahmad Rafat Spain has arrested three suspects -- including two Spaniards and a British woman -- in connection with the attempted assassination of Alejo Vidal Cuadras, the founder of Spain's right-wing VOX party and...

ANALYSIS: Pezeshkian’s Trips to New York, Baghdad Fall Flat

By Ahmad Rafat Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian did not change international views of his government’s foreign policy during his discussions on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. While he aimed...