Is France Ready to Stand Up to Trump on Iran?

by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj  On July 26th, the French foreign ministry issued a declaration about the package of new sanctions targeting Russia and Iran making its way through Congress to President Trump’s desk in the Oval Office. In the estimation of… Continue Reading

We Shouldn’t Defend the JCPOA at the Expense of the Iran Deal

by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj On the two-year anniversary of the agreement, U.S. supporters of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, including many former Obama administration officials, are admirably working to defend the deal through media appearances and coordinated statements. Their message that… Continue Reading

Country Managers Make Post-Sanctions Iran Work

by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj On July 3, Patrick Pouyanné, the imposing, former rugby-playing CEO of Total, arrived in Tehran to sign a landmark $5 billion contract to develop Phase 11 of Iran’s South Pars gas field in cooperation with the China… Continue Reading

Boeing, Iran, and American Jobs

by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj New reports suggest that Boeing could deliver a new jetliner to IranAir within the month. According to Reuters, Boeing is reallocating a 777 originally designated for Turkish Airlines. This would be the first aircraft of eighty for which Boeing… Continue Reading

Is Tillerson a Timely Choice?

By Esfandyar Batmanghelidj The announcement of Rex Tillerson as Trump’s pick for secretary of state has led many to ask whether an oil executive is capable of advancing America’s foreign policy interests. Although the Trump transition team didn’t likely foresee… Continue Reading