The Bear, The Dragon, and The Persian Cat

by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj  “Today, Russia and China effectively shelter Iran from complete isolation and provide it with political support, defence assistance, and economic ties it cannot receive elsewhere.” That is the primary contention of a new book by Dina Esfandiary,… Continue Reading

EU-Iran Relations in the Trump Era

by Eldar Mamedov One undeniable benefit of the historic nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is that it opened the channels of communications between Iran and the EU beyond the narrow issue of the implementation of the… Continue Reading

Yemen: An Opportunity for Iran-Saudi Dialogue?

by Dina Esfandiary and Ariane Tabatabai The news out of Yemen continues to be grim. Week after week the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that committed troops to the Saudi-led Operation Restore Hope—previously dubbed Operation Decisive Storm—see body bags return home. And… Continue Reading

Ariane Tabatabai on Negotiations with Iran

by Henry Johnson Ariane Tabatabai, a visiting assistant professor at Georgetown University, nuclear non-proliferation expert, and occasional contributor to LobeLog, is very busy these days. But she agreed to speak with us about the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran.… Continue Reading

Iran Talks Miss Deal Deadline: What’s Next?

by Ariane Tabatabai With the November 24 deadline for a comprehensive deal between world powers and Iran on the country’s nuclear program now behind us, the negotiating teams have returned to their capitals to debate next steps. They will reconvene… Continue Reading