Trump Presidency and Iran’s Domestic Politics

by Farideh Farhi Ever since the 2009 Iranian elections, when I suggested in my writings and interviews that fraud was involved, a supporter of former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad takes delight in sending me emails regarding events and information that… Continue Reading

On the Eve of Hajj, Saudi and Iranian Officials Try to Define “Muslim”

by Derek Davison Top Iranian and Saudi officials traded barbs earlier this week over who is and isn’t a true Muslim, deepening the Middle East’s most prominent, longest-running, and deadliest diplomatic crisis. On September 6, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Abdulaziz… Continue Reading

Militant Clergy—the Future of Shia Islam?

by Saeid Golkar Mohammad Aqamiri might be the first-ever Shia cleric from Iran who martyred himself in Syria after the Syrian uprising. While studying and teaching at Qom Seminary in 2013, Aqamiri enlisted in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and died defending the holy shrine… Continue Reading

Hardliners: The Real Barrier to Iran’s Economic Revival

by Shireen T. Hunter By now it has become clear that Iran’s expectations of an immediate economic revival following the nuclear deal were unrealistic. Tehran thought that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would restore its severed links to… Continue Reading