Author Archives: persiangulf

Iran shifts on Syria

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By: Laura Rosen 17 June 2016

The apparent shift in Iran’s Syria policymaking comes as the Obama administration is facing internal criticism of its Syria policy, in the form of a dissent cable signed by some 50 State Department officers urging the United States to conduct airstrikes against the Assad regime in order to pressure it to make serious concessions at stalled political transition talks with the opposition in Geneva. The memo, first reported by The New York Times June 16, calls for “a judicious use of stand-off and air weapons, which would undergird and drive a more focused and hard-nosed US-led diplomatic process.” Read More »

Why was this influential Iranian deputy minister replaced?

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By” Arash Karami 20 January, 2016

When Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif traveled to Norway and Germany to meet European and American officials last week, many Iran observers were surprised to see Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari in photos of the meetings. Then, on June 19, it became clear why Ansari had been so visible when it was announced that Ansari had been appointed deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs. Read More »

Allegations about Hariri’s Saudi ties make waves

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Statement by Machnouk alleging Riyadh’s role in Hariri’s decisions represents unexpected revelation from within Future Movement.

by: Mohamed Kawas

The positions issued by the Future Movement and its leader Saad Hariri in recent years, culminating in the shock endorsement of Marada Movement leader Suleiman Frangieh for president last November, have been surprising to many in the March 14 alliance. Read More »

Iran’s broken financial system

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Tehran hasn’t benefited much from the nuclear deal. But the real problem is its own economy.

By Elizabeth Rosenberg and Richard Nephew

The Iran nuclear deal was destined to be controversial in its negotiation, conclusion and implementation. Nowhere is the deal more complex than in the area of sanctions relief. But blaming sanctions for the failure of a windfall for Iran to materialize — as critics and supporters alike are saying — misplaces attribution and undermines prospects for the deal’s success. Read More »

Reading Hume in Tehran

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The Iranian Revolution and the Enlightenment

By Ervand Abrahamian

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When Iran makes headlines, it is usually as a result of its conflicts with other countries. Far less attention is paid to Iran’s conflicts with itself, which are still raging nearly 40 years after the revolution that brought forth the Islamic Republic. Read More »

How Kosovo Was Turned Into Fertile Ground for ISIS

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Extremist clerics and secretive associations funded by Saudis and others have transformed a once-tolerant Muslim society into a font of extremism.

By CARLOTTA GALLMAY 21, 2016

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Every Friday, just yards from a statue of Bill Clinton with arm aloft in a cheery wave, hundreds of young bearded men make a show of kneeling to pray on the sidewalk outside an improvised mosque in a former furniture store. Read More »

Iran Faces Financial Hurdles for Airbus Orders

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Banks ‘shy’ of funding big deals with Tehran, says Airbus sales chief

By: ROBERT WALL June 1, 2016

Airbus sales chief John Leahy, pictured at a press conference in Paris in January, said on Wednesday that financing problems are complicating IranAir’s attempts to upgrade its fleet of aircraft. Read More »