Rouhani’s Challenges to Form His New Cabinet

by Adnan Tabatabai Hassan Rouhani will be sworn in for his second term as president of the Islamic Republic of Iran during the official inauguration scheduled for August 5, 2017. The tahlif ceremony will take place in parliament, symbolizing the… Continue Reading

Changing Iran: Q&A with Ervand Abrahamian

by Jasmin Ramsey Republican rejection of the Iranian nuclear deal dominated news headlines long before Congress received the 159-page document. Former presidential candidate John McCain—who derided President Obama’s willingness to engage Iran directly without preconditions during the 2008 election—was among… Continue Reading

Silencing Khatami?

by Tehran Correspondent The judicial order of a media blackout on Mohammad Khatami and the reaction of Iranian social media users have once again highlighted the former president’s political importance. As the potentially pivotal 2016 parliamentary elections draw near, the pressure… Continue Reading

The Geneva Accords and the Return of the “Defensive Realists”

by Ali Fathollah-Nejad After intense negotiations between Iran and world powers (chiefly among them the United States), November 24 saw a historic breakthrough. In a six-month interim agreement, Tehran has committed itself to a substantial freezing of its nuclear program… Continue Reading

Iran’s Moderation Project and Lessons of the Reform Era

by Mohammad Ali Kadivar It took only a few months after president Hassan Rouhani’s inauguration for the broad but fragile alliance behind him to face challenges after the shutdown of a reformist newspaper as well as the harassment of the… Continue Reading