ANALYSIS: Iran’s Influence Is Diminishing in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria
By Ahmad Rafat
The Islamic Republic’s influence in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and even the Gaza Strip has significantly diminished over the last year. The so-called 'Resistance Front' is crumbling.
There are two reasons for this....
ANALYSIS: In Iran-U.S. Talks, Diplomacy and War Are Both On the Table
By Ahmad Rafat
President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement on Monday April 7: that the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are holding direct talks and that a meeting at the highest...
ANALYSIS – Iran’s Unrest Sounds Death Knell for Once Vibrant Reformists
By Parisa Hafezi
DUBAI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The protests sweeping Iran have sounded the death knell for a once vibrant reform movement, revealing a big divide with Iranians in the streets demanding an end to theocratic rule.
The reformists, who...
Collapse of Assad Regime Deals Severe Blow to Islamic Republic
By Ahmad Rafat
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's dictatorial regime has collapsed in the space of a little over a week. A coalition of anti-government forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – which is listed as...
ANALYSIS: Iran’s Achilles’ Heel? Security Gaps and Possible Enemy Infiltration
By Parisa Hafezi
DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The killing of Iran's top nuclear scientist has exposed security gaps which suggest its security forces may have been infiltrated and that the Islamic Republic is vulnerable to...
ANALYSIS: As Iran Faces “Water Bankruptcy”, Drought Exposes Past Problems, Future Threats
By Maya Gebeily
BEIRUT, July 28 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Severe water shortages in Iran in recent weeks have prompted electricity outages and even sparked deadly protests, but analysts say the underlying causes go back decades -...
ANALYSIS: U.K. Policy on Iran Would Change Under Boris Johnson
By Natasha Phillips
June 20 - U.K. government officials met on June 17 to discuss growing tensions with Tehran as tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman sparked fears of a conflict with the Islamic...
ANALYSIS: What Role Did Iran’s New President Play in the 1988 Executions?
By Ahmad Rafat
Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati, better known as Ebrahim Raisi, will take office as the Islamic Republic’s eighth president on August 5.
The June presidential elections have differed in many aspects from all previous ones. For...
ANALYSIS: As Iran Nuclear Deal Expires, UN Sanctions Are Reinstated
By Ahmad Rafat
The nuclear agreement signed by the Islamic Republic of Iran in October 2015 with the three European countries -- Germany, France, and the United Kingdom (collectively known as the E3) -- alongside...
ANALYSIS: IRGC’s Designation as a Terrorist Group Sparks Worldwide Concern
By Natasha Phillips
APR 12 - Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been placed on a blacklist which designates the group as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. Middle East experts and government...
