Iran

Any nuclear deal with Iran should be ‘improved’ – Israel Energy Minister

Steinitz, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urged US President Joe Biden to put “enormous pressure” on Iran to change its behavior and dismantle its nuclear program. Any new nuclear deal between the West and Iran should be “dramatically improved” from the previous agreement, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval …

Read More »

Iran’s Rouhani: Our centrifuges are spinning faster

Europe is pushing for an IAEA resolution on Iran, despite Russia and Iranian warnings. Iran won’t meet with the US or Europeans unless sanctions are lifted by Washington. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani boasted on Wednesday that Iran’s “economy and centrifuges are spinning faster.”

Read More »

Why Trump’s Maximum Pressure Strategy Won’t Get Iran Back to the Negotiating Table

The Trump administration’s strategy of applying “maximum pressure” on Iran has succeeded in inflicting unprecedented economic pain on the country, particularly since the U.S. withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and subsequently reimposed punishing sanctions. Yet, despite the resulting political pressures that have mounted in Iran, the …

Read More »

Why Iran May Be Locked Into a Future of More Protests

At midnight on Nov. 15, Iran’s government announced a precipitous 300 percent hike in fuel prices. Immediate public outcries quickly escalated into nationwide protests that spread to more than 100 cities and gripped the country for 6 straight days, before the authorities effectively crushed them. Since President Donald Trump withdrew …

Read More »

Is Iran Losing Its Grip on Its Proxy Militias in Iraq?

Earlier this month, a prominent researcher and security expert in Iraq, who was close to the new prime minister and to Western governments, was gunned down outside his home in Baghdad. While the identify of his assailants remains unknown, Hisham al-Hashimi had many enemies, given his history of speaking out …

Read More »

Saudi Oil Attack Points to More Advanced Iranian Missiles and Drones

If Iran is in fact responsible for the recent attack on Saudi oil facilities, whether directly or through its proxies in Yemen, it suggests that Iranian cruise missiles and drones are getting more sophisticated. Unlike its ballistic missile program, which receives considerable international attention, Iran’s cruise missile capabilities have long …

Read More »

The Case for Leaving the Iran Nuclear Deal on Life Support

Will the next U.S. president have any incentive to revive the Iran nuclear deal? The status of the agreement has steadily eroded since the U.S. unilaterally pulled out of it in May 2018 and subsequently reimposed punishing economic sanctions on Iran and any entities that do business with it. And …

Read More »

Iran Is Already Raising the Stakes for Biden in the Middle East

Just days into the new year, Iran announced that “a couple of hours ago,” it had started enriching uranium to 20 percent—a level that experts say would put it within a six-month sprint of converting its entire nuclear stockpile to bomb-grade material. Tehran’s move Monday raises the pressure on President-elect …

Read More »

Israel Says Iran Likely Behind Explosion On Israeli-Owned Cargo Ship

Top Israeli defense and political leaders are scheduled to meet on February 28 to discuss a response to what Israel’s defense minister says was likely an attack by Iran against a an Israeli-owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Israel’s state-owned Kan television quoted unnamed Israeli officials as saying …

Read More »