A Grim Assessment of U.S.-Iran Tensions

by Mitchell Plitnick Speaking to an adoring audience at the annual summit of the far-right Christians United for Israel (CUFI), Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured the audience that the Trump administration was determined to continue ratcheting up pressure on… Continue Reading

UK’s Misguided Bandwagoning with U.S. on Iran

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi In a deliberate move that has potentially significant implications for the future of Iran-UK relations, the British government has seized an oil supertanker carrying Iranian oil off the cost of Gibraltar. The British has used the… Continue Reading

Europe’s Failure to Meet Iran Halfway

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi With Iran’s July 7 deadline rapidly approaching for Europe to live up to its obligations under the nuclear agreement or face consequences, there is little evidence that European governments are willing to meet Iran even halfway.… Continue Reading

Iran’s Strategy of Reversible Escalation

by Eldar Mamedov In case anyone thought Iran was bluffing with its threats to respond robustly to U.S. “maximum pressure,” recent developments should have disabused them of that notion. Not only did Iran down a highly sophisticated American drone near… Continue Reading