The Looming War and Tehran’s Ostrich Politics

by Shireen T. Hunter                    Last week, tensions between Iran and the United States reached even more alarming levels. First, Iran’s  Supreme Leader admonished Iranians that since the enemy—read America—is in war mode, Iran, too, should prepare for war… Continue Reading

Iran: An Indispensable Ally in the War on Terrorism

by Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Reza Nasri After the United States cut its ties with Iran in 1979, American diplomats were instructed not to engage with any Iranian official in bilateral settings. They could just talk to their Iranian counterparts in… Continue Reading

The Risks of Maximizing Pressure on Iran

by Ali Vaez The U.S. decision on 22 April to end sanctions exemptions for Iran’s remaining oil customers, following on an earlier designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), significantly escalates the Trump administration’s… Continue Reading

The Path to War with Iran Is Paved with Sanctions

by Joseph Cirincione and Mary Kaszynski The Trump administration is laying siege to Iran. Taking pages from the Iraq War playbook, senior officials paint a picture of a rogue, outlaw, terrorist regime bent on acquiring nuclear weapons and whose “malign… Continue Reading

Trump’s Embrace of Netanyahu Will Haunt Middle East for Years

by Phyllis Bennis For Israelis, the questions had been hovering for months. Would the right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claim victory and a fifth term, moving his far-right Likud government coalition even further right? Or would the supposedly “centrist” challenger,… Continue Reading