ANALYSIS: How Iran’s Government Has Weaponized Sexual Violence Against Women Who Dare to Resist
By Mina Fakhravar / The Conversation
In Iran’s 2022–2023 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising, women’s bodies quite literally became battlefields.
The protest movement erupted after the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini, who was arrested by Iran’s...
ANALYSIS: Iran Will Play No Role in Syria’s Future
By Ahmad Rafat
When Syrian people poured into the streets on March 15, 2011, demanding sweeping political reforms, they did not expect their anti-government protests to spark a devastating civil war that still rages today.
The...
ANALYSIS: The Hostage Trade Is Central to Iran’s Foreign Policy
By Ahmad Rafat
Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official, was convicted of war crimes and murder in May 2022 by a Swedish court. The court held 93 hearings before delivering the verdict. Nouri was sentenced...
ANALYSIS: Islamic Republic Looks to China, Russia to Avoid Isolation
By Ahmad Rafat
Under intense U.S. sanctions and facing the looming reimposition of international penalties through the “snapback” mechanism triggered by France, Germany, and the UK (E3), the Islamic Republic of Iran has once again...
ANALYSIS: How the Gaza Conflict Is Helping Iran
By Ahmad Rafat
The unfolding tragedy in Israel and the Gaza Strip shows just how quickly the Middle East can combust in the flames of war. It also makes clear that ordinary people are paying...
ANALYSIS: Iran Is Increasingly Isolated, Losing Influence In the Middle East
By Ahmad Rafat
The so-called “Axis of Resistance” -- a political alliance between the Islamic Republic of Iran, the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the Lebanese Hezbollah -- has suffered several humiliating defeats...
ANALYSIS: Iran’s Next President Could Be a Former IRGC Commander
By Roshanak Astaraki
Hossein Dehghan, a special advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is the only person so far to have formally announced his candidacy for the Iranian presidential elections, due to be...
ANALYSIS: The New Wave of ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ Protests in Iran
By Roshanak Astaraki
The ongoing protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa (Zhina) Amini while in the custody of the morality police (guidance patrol) in Tehran on Sept. 16 have spread to 120 cities...
ANALYSIS: Enforcing the Mandatory Hejab Is A Massive Economic Cost
By Roshanak Astaraki
The suppression of women in Iran, most recently through the nationwide ‘Noor Project’ aimed at enforcing the mandatory hejab, has garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. The Noor Project was launched...
ANALYSIS: Who Are the Men Serving in Iran’s IRGC, Basij, and Police Forces?
By Simorgh (Iran)
The recent publication of photographs of underage children in riot police uniforms carrying compliance tools has raised eyebrows and sparked public outrage.
However, a closer examination of the photographs shows that the small...
