ANALYSIS – Iran Crackdown May Burnish Raisi’s Credentials for Top Job
By Michael Georgy and Tom Perry
DUBAI, Oct 25 (Reuters) - By tightening curbs on women's rights, President Ebrahim Raisi has boosted his hardline credentials and possibly his prospects of becoming Iran's Supreme Leader, even at the cost...
ANALYSIS-Frustrated Khamenei Pushed for Saudi-Iran Deal Clinched in China
By Parisa Hafezi, Aziz El Yaakoubi and James Pomfret
DUBAI, March 16 (Reuters) - Eager to end its political and economic isolation, Iran had been trying for two years to restore ties with its long-time rival Saudi Arabia, an Arab heavyweight...
ANALYSIS: Who Will Succeed Ali Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader?
By Ahmad Rafat
Elections for the 16th Majlis (Iranian Parliament) and for the sixth Assembly of Experts (which has the power to appoint Iran’s Supreme Leader) were held on March 1 in Iran.
These elections marked...
ANALYSIS: Hitler and Reza Shah: Mullahs and Pro-Israel Writers Sing Together
By Amir Taheri
That political life is full of surprises may be an old adage. However, there are times when something so unexpected happens that one has to look beyond surprise to understand it.
One such...
ANALYSIS: 2018, A Crisis Year for the Islamic Republic of Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
The year 2018 was arguably the most tumultuous year for the Islamic Republic since its inception nearly four decades ago. It started with nationwide unrest and street protests which persisted throughout 2018.
The...
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: Lebanese Army Walks Political Tightrope to Disarm Hezbollah
By Maya Gebeily and Laila Bassam
BEIRUT, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Lebanon's army has blown up so many Hezbollah arms caches that it has run out of explosives, as it races to meet a year-end deadline to...
ANALYSIS: Iran Has Executed 225 People Since Late March
By Ahmad Rafat
The Islamic Republic of Iran has conducted 70 executions in the space of two weeks. It is hanging people at the rate of three a day. Iranian authorities have executed 225 people...
ANALYSIS – Iran’s Response to Israel-UAE Pact: Tough Rhetoric, No Action
By Parisa Hafezi
DUBAI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Iran's clerical and military elite is turning up the volume of its rhetoric against a surprise agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Tehran's arch-foe Israel to normalise...
ANALYSIS: A Look Back at 40 Years of Opposition to the Islamic Republic
By Majid Mohammadi
To fully understand the different aspects of the recent wave of civil unrest which quickly spread throughout the country after the Iranian government increased the price of fuel in late October, we...
