The Trump Administration Has Criminalized the Iranian Economy

by Tyler Cullis The Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy with respect to Iran is predicated on placing Iran’s economy in perpetual isolation. A not-insignificant part of that effort has involved designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—Iran’s premier military outfit—as… Continue Reading

A Conversation with Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi Kaveh Afrasiabi:  Has there been any contact with Trump administration officials since you raised the possibility of a prisoner exchange, particularly in light of the news that President Trump approved payment of $2 million to North… Continue Reading

The Risks of Maximizing Pressure on Iran

by Ali Vaez The U.S. decision on 22 April to end sanctions exemptions for Iran’s remaining oil customers, following on an earlier designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), significantly escalates the Trump administration’s… Continue Reading

The Corruption of the Terrorist Group List

by Paul R. Pillar The ineffectiveness and many of the costs of the Trump administration’s latest move in its anti-Iran campaign—its designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)—are readily apparent and have been… Continue Reading