Let’s Not Rule Out Diplomacy

by Mahmood Monshipouri and Jonathon Whooley The United States and Iran are unrelentingly caught in a strategic conundrum that is escalating toward conflict with no diplomatic solution in sight. Neither the “maximum pressure” strategy of the Trump administration nor the “no… Continue Reading

Why Ayatollah Khamenei Has Blocked Negotiations with the U.S.

by Kayhan Barzegar Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has defined the current status of relations between Iran and the United States as “no war, no negotiation.” His position, in addition to showing Iran’s indomitability or resistance against President Trump’s… Continue Reading

Hard Choices Facing Tehran and Washington

by Daniel Brumberg Perhaps Iran has done the Trump Administration a favor by announcing that it has moved to enrich uranium at five percent, thus violating the terms of the 2015 nuclear agreement (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA).… Continue Reading

The Real Reason Iran’s Hardliners Don’t Want to Talk to America

by Shireen T. Hunter     Recently, President Donald Trump gave Iran’s leaders a telephone number, saying that he is waiting to talk to them. Observers and analysts in both Tehran and Washington dismissed this gesture as meaningless. Given the background… Continue Reading