Recent Posts

The economic backdrop of Iran’s protests

Iran’s ongoing protests were sparked by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in a hospital in Tehran one month ago after she was detained by the so-called “morality police” (Gasht-e Ershad) for allegedly wearing her headscarf incorrectly.

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Iran protests: how far can they go?

On an early autumn day in Tehran, the morality police arrested in a city park a 22-year-old Iranian woman who was in the capital on a family visit, bundled her into a van and drove her to the police station. The detention of Mahsa Amini on September 13 set in …

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A Year After Elections, Iraq May Finally Be Set to Form a Government

The country’s political class now stands at a crossroads: Will it seek to heal the country’s deep divides or go back to business as usual? Iraq hit two anniversaries this month. Three years ago in October, Iraqis rose up to protest the failure of the Iraqi government and political class …

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