Author Archives: khalijefars

Why Iran will choose to negotiate with Trump

By Zalmay Khalilzad

Zalmay Khalilzad was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2009.

The Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and a subsequent speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have engendered a range of responses: Some welcomed the new hard line, but most expressed concern and criticism. Critics have accused the administration of calling for war or regime change; others have denounced its strategy as unrealistic. Read More »

Expected Chinese evasion of US sanctions on Iran clouded by trade, diplomatic talks

Houston (Platts)

**China may offer US sanctions compliance for trade concessions

**Chinese imports of Iranian crude up 6% from 2017

**Domestic banks, barter system may be used to evade sanctions

China, Iran’s top oil consumer, will likely attempt to evade sanctions that the US has promised to reimpose in November, but ongoing trade disputes and sensitive diplomatic talks could motivate Beijing into limited compliance, analysts told S&P Global Platts this week. Read More »

IRGC seeks to further tighten grip on Iran’s economy as sanctions return

By Ahmad Majidyar

Earlier this year, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had ordered the country’s powerful Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) to reduce its economic activities, raising the hope that the regime has decided to loosen the IRGC’s grip on the economy. But IRGC leaders swiftly rejected any notion that it would divest from energy and commercial as Read More »

Behind the Headlines/June 14, 2018

In tonight’s program:

Who says Iranians have problems with rising prices and shortage of foreign currency?
New angels converge on Iran.
According to this mullah, sex is a jihad!
And some other interesting news from the land of the ayatollahs.

Stay with us.

Here’s what Trump should do next on Iran

By Zalmay Khalilzad

The Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and a subsequent speech by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have engendered a range of responses: Some welcomed the new hard line, but most expressed concern and criticism. Critics have accused the administration of calling for war or regime change; others have denounced its strategy as unrealistic. Read More »

Behind the Headlines/June 12, 2018


Jamshid Chalangi:

In tonight’s program of Behind the Headlines we will discuss the historic meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un and look at its repercussions for the Iranian regime, in light of the US exit from the nuclear deal.
Read More »