Even as negotiations restart over the nuclear deal, American officials still don’t understand the country or its leader.
Tag Archives: Khamenei, Ali
Putin Finds a New Ally in Iran, a Fellow Outcast
A three-way summit meeting in Tehran between the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey sent a clear signal that Vladimir Putin is pushing back against ostracism from the West.
After Israel’s Spies Hit Iran Hard, an Intelligence Official Loses His Job
After a series of damaging failures, a senior Iranian intelligence official lost his job and a Revolutionary Guards general was said to have been arrested.
Trump’s Shadow Looms Over Fading Iran Nuclear Talks
With no compromise in sight and Iran making steady progress toward nuclear capability, the Biden administration could soon face a stark choice.
The U.S. and Iran Move Closer to a Nuclear Deal
As negotiations reach a critical stage, neither side wants to betray weakness by seeming too eager to reach a deal.
Israel and Iran Broaden Cyberwar to Attack Civilian Targets
Iranians couldn’t buy gas. Israelis found their intimate dating details posted online. The Iran-Israel shadow war is now hitting ordinary citizens.
Iran Clamps Down on Protests Against Growing Water Shortages
The crackdown came after the protests spilled over to at least one other city and a major protest on Friday loomed. Weather experts say 97 percent of the country is dealing with water scarcity issues.
Iranian Motorists Hit With Cyberattack at Filling Stations
Iranian news agencies reported that a cyberattack of unidentified origin had sabotaged a payment system.
U.S. Blocks Websites Linked to Iran at Key Point in Nuclear Talks
Officials seized the domains of about three dozen websites just days after Iran elected a new, hard-line president, and at a critical moment in nuclear negotiations.
The Hard-Liners Won in Iran. That’s Not All Bad News.
A more monolithic Iranian system that seeks stability presents Washington with an opportunity.
Iran Bets on Religion, Repression and Revolution
The next Iranian president’s past tells us something about the country’s future.
Biden’s Bet: Iranian Hard-liner May Be Best Path to Restoring Nuclear Deal
The next six weeks before a new government takes office in Tehran may be a unique window for clinching an agreement that Iran’s leadership has been delaying.
Iran Election: Ebrahim Raisi Is Headed to Presidency as Rivals Concede
Rival candidates conceded the election to Mr. Raisi, Iran’s judiciary chief, a close ally of the supreme leader who has a record of grave human rights violations.
Iranians Vote for a New President, but Mood is Pessimistic
Turnout appeared low on Friday, with many voters saying they would not cast ballots in an election that they feel has been manipulated in favor of a hard-line conservative candidate.
Iran Activists Urge Election Boycott. Raisi Likely Winner.
Low turnout would signal a rejection of the election. But not voting gives the regime a near-certain assurance that their candidate is victorious.
Many Expected to Shun Iran Vote Seen as Presidential Race of One
An ultraconservative judiciary chief appears to have the only real chance of winning after a council of powerful clerics disqualified virtually all the other viable candidates.
Iran Clears Way for Hard-line Judiciary Chief to Become President
Potential rivals to Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Khamenei’s favored choice, were barred from the June 18 election, and the remaining candidates do not present a serious challenge.
Iran, a Longtime Backer of Hamas, Cheers Attacks on Israel
Tehran jumped at the chance to portray militants’ barrages on Israel as revenge for Israeli attacks on Iran. But Israel says Tehran played no role in the latest conflict.
US Vessel Fires Warning Shots at Iranian Patrol Boats
The incident, in the Strait of Hormuz, was the third time in just over a month that vessels from the two countries have come dangerously close.
U.S. and Iran Want to Restore the Nuclear Deal. They Disagree Deeply on What That Means.
After five weeks of diplomatic shadow boxing, it is clear that the old agreement no longer works for Tehran or Washington, except as a steppingstone.
Second Close Call Between Iranian and American Vessels Raises Tensions
The tense encounters come as the two countries have resumed talks over renewing the 2015 nuclear agreement. The latest episode ended only after an American warship fired warning shots.
The Clock Is Ticking for Biden on Iran
The United States must quickly decide on lifting sanctions and come up with a credible road map for reviving the Iran nuclear deal.
Iran and U.S. Agree on Path Back to Nuclear Deal
In indirect talks in Vienna, the U.S. and Iran agreed to try to synchronize Washington’s lifting of sanctions and Iran’s limiting of uranium enrichment.
The Iran Nuclear Talks Explained
Talks in Vienna starting Tuesday will try to bring both the United States and Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. It won’t be easy.
What We Learned From Mubarak
Regimes that muzzle their people’s voices eventually push people into venting their frustrations from muzzles of a different sort.
Iran Suggests It May Seek Nuclear Weapons, in New Escalation of Threats
An Iranian official says U.S. sanctions could force Iran to revoke its pledge to not seek a nuclear weapon. New intelligence suggests Iran is 2 years away from producing one.
What Has Gone Wrong Between Iran and the United States?
John Ghazvinian’s “America and Iran” offers an insightful history into 300 years of troubled interactions between the two countries.
Why Is Iran Kidnapping and Executing Dissidents?
Abductions and executions of Iranian journalists and activists seem to be aimed at complicating the resumption of talks under the Biden administration.
On Iran, Biden Can Bide His Time
The new administration should not be stampeded into returning to the nuclear deal.
Biden Wants to Rejoin Iran Nuclear Deal, but It Won’t Be Easy
President Trump is applying more sanctions on Iran that would be hard to reverse. Tehran, facing elections in June, has its own demands.
Trump Needs a Tutorial on How International Agreements Work
The administration is arguing that it is still a party to the Iran deal that it left with great fanfare in 2018.
As U.S. Increases Pressure, Iran Adheres to Toned-Down Approach
The Trump administration has ramped up its criticism of Iran, but Tehran has chosen a path of restraint, intelligence showed.
Iran Will Expand Nuclear Program and Won’t Talk to U.S., Ayatollah Says
In a televised speech, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, said that negotiating with Washington over his country’s nuclear program would only help President Trump get re-elected.
Strange Bedfellows: Iran’s Ex-President Woos Saudi Crown Prince as Pen Pal
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known in the West for his Holocaust denial and disputed re-election in 2009, writes a warm letter to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, calling him a man of peace.
On North Korea and Iran, Bolton Blames ‘the Split Between Trump and Trump’
In his memoir, the hawkish national security adviser describes a president who simultaneously wanted to sound tough and strike a deal — any deal — that he could portray as a victory.
Are Nations Safer From the Coronavirus When Women Lead?
Rates of coronavirus deaths are far lower in many female-led countries.
A Daughter Is Beheaded, and Iran Asks if Women Have a Right to Safety
The killing of a 14-year-old girl in Iran has shaken the country and forced an examination of its failure to protect women and children.
Iran, Devastated by Coronavirus, Says U.S. Sanctions Are Taking Lives
Iran, devastated by the coronavirus, is asking the U.S. to lift sanctions on humanitarian grounds. U.S. officials say sanctions aren’t to blame; Iran is.
Iran’s Coronavirus Response: Pride, Paranoia, Secrecy, Chaos
Iranian leaders once predicted the coronavirus epidemic ravaging China would not affect their country. Now Iran has among the most coronavirus deaths outside China, and Iranian medical workers have been told to keep quiet.