Did Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, just ban online chatting between unrelated men and women? Both the Jerusalem Post …
Khamenei
Not Everyone’s Happy: Hardliners in Iran Criticize Geneva Nuclear Deal
While most in Iran celebrated a deal that could signal a warming of ties between Tehran and Washington, the country’s hardliners found reason to grumble
Forget the Handshake. Here Are Iran President Rouhani’s Real Challenges
So Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will not, it seems, shake hands with U.S. President Barack Obama in a U.N. hallway. As their two delegations arrived on Tuesday morning at the U.N. General Assembly, speculation was rife that a …
Iran’s Agenda: Why Tehran Plays Hard to Get on Nuclear Diplomacy
“A decade of war in now ending,” President Barack Obama told Americans on Monday, vowing to “show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are naive about the dangers we face, …
What Should the Middle East Expect from Obama’s Second Term?
“This is my last election,” President Barack Obama told then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in comments picked up by a mike in Seoul last March. “After my election, I have more flexibility.”
Whether It’s Romney or Obama, U.S. Will Consider Direct Talks with Iran
Here’s a little secret about the future of U.S. Iran policy, regardless of who wins the presidential election: direct talks between Washington and Tehran may be inevitable — notwithstanding the Obama Administration’s …
Protests in Tehran: Will Pain of Sanctions Change Iran’s Nuclear Calculus?
Blame sanctions, says Ahmadinejad, of Iran’s economic chaos. Blame Ahmadinejad, say the protesters — and supporters of the Supreme Leader
After November: 5 Middle East Headaches That Await the U.S.
Last week’s U.N. General Assembly session served up reminders that the next White House may have little option but to deal with a number of crises previously deferred
New Sanctions, Old Postures as U.S.-Israel-Iran Stalemate Drags On
Did Mitt Romney’s hawkish posture in Israel last weekend increase the likelihood of an Israeli attack on Iran? Unlikely. Will Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s visit to Israel to discuss “various contingencies and how we would …
Israel Sets Tough Demands for Next Round of Iran Talks
During a visit to Israel on Wednesday, Catherine Ashton, the European diplomat leading nuclear negotiations with Iran, got a reminder of the enormity of the challenge she faces. Ashton met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu …
Why Israeli Challenges to Netanyahu on Iran May Help Obama’s Nuclear Diplomacy
The steady torrent of criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Iran rhetoric by some of the most senior figures in Israel’s security establishment may be causing consternation within the Prime Minister’s office, but it’s not necessarily …
Iran Nuclear Talks: Hitting the ‘Snooze’ Button on the Alarm Clock of Confrontation
Staying within the “clock is ticking” metaphor favored by the Obama Administration when discussing diplomacy with Iran, Saturday’s talks in Istanbul could be said to have hit the snooze button. The doomsday alarm could yet sound, …
Must-Reads From Around the World: April 12, 2012
Pyongyang’s Plan – Despite mounting international pressure, a defiant North Korea appears poised to launch its Unha-3 rocket, viewed by the U.S. and others as a ballistic missile test that violates U.N. resolutions aimed at …