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...
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...
PROFILE: Narges Mohammadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Speaks Of Her Struggle
By Ahmad Rafat
Narges Mohammadi, winner of the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize, is an Iranian journalist and human rights activist serving a 16-year sentence in prison. She has been detained a total of 13 times...
ANALYSIS: Will the Iran-Nuclear Deal Talks Be Resuming in Tokyo?
By Ahmad Rafat
Japanese newspapers have reported that Japan will mediate a round of talks to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal. While Vienna was the site of...
ANALYSIS: Biden Is Giving A Gift to Islamic Republic on Mahsa Anniversary
By Ahmad Rafat
The U.S. government is handing over $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets and releasing five detained Iranians as part of a deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran, in exchange for the...
UK to Designate Wagner A Terrorist Group; No Designation For IRGC
By Ahmad Rafat
The UK government plans to designate the Wagner Group, a Russian state-funded private military company, a terrorist organization on Sept. 13.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, being a member of the Wagner Group...
Iranian Protest Songs Are Galvanizing the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Revolution
By Ahmad Rafat
The Iranian authorities arrested singer, musician, and activist Mehdi Yarrahi on Aug. 28 on the orders of the Tehran prosecutor’s office. The Judiciary had launched an investigation of Mr. Yarrahi following the...
ANALYSIS: What Exactly Does the U.S.-Iran Agreement Contain?
By Ahmad Rafat
South Korea has yet to transfer the $6 billion it owes Iran to a Swiss National Bank account under the unwritten agreement reportedly reached between Tehran and Washington. The money will then...
Islamic Republic Had A Hand In Attack on Shiraz Shrine, Says Analyst Vahedi
By Ahmad Rafat
A terrorist attack on the Shah Cheragh Shrine in Shiraz on Aug. 13 left one person dead and seven others injured, according to the local authorities.
Shortly after the attack on the Shia...
ANALYSIS: China’s Influence in the Middle East Is Expanding
By Ahmad Rafat
China’s efforts to expand its sphere of influence significantly in the Middle East and Africa in recent years have been a concern for the West. While China previously limited its aim to...
