by Ali Reza Eshraghi In the current debate over the November 24 interim deal with Iran on its nuclear program, an important lesson from Politics 101 is neglected: state and regime are two conceptually different terms. But when it comes… Continue Reading
by Ali Reza Eshraghi Negotiation, as the French writer Marquis de Sade once said, “like certain portions of the anatomy, always runs more smoothly when lubricated.” In the most recent session with Iran in Geneva, the lubricant was strikingly effective.… Continue Reading
by Ali Reza Eshraghi News media accounts of reactions from Iran to the recent talks in Geneva remind me of a joke that has gone viral there: A salesman shows a variety of hearing aids ranging in cost from one to… Continue Reading
by Ali Reza Eshraghi Following the phone conversation between Presidents Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani, the atmosphere in Iran has taken a happier turn while remaining surprisingly calm. Contrary to predictions made over the past week and during Rouhani’s trip… Continue Reading
by Ali Reza Eshraghi Nearly two weeks after Iran’s June 14 presidential election, there’s an unprecedented optimism in the air. Seemingly endless speculation is occurring on a daily basis about the make-up of president-elect Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet. At the same… Continue Reading