Principle and Pragmatism, Here and Abroad

by Paul R. Pillar In a story out of Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani, who in the Iranian political context merits the labels “reformist” and “moderate”, is being pushed by others in the reformist camp who believe he has not been… Continue Reading

The Profound Meaning of Iran’s Elections

by Farideh Farhi The countrywide official results of the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections are not yet finalized, and in any case a detailed analysis of the numbers requires more time. The Guardian has a good round-up of approximate… Continue Reading

Have Human Rights in Iran Deteriorated after the Nuclear Deal?

by Derek Davison The case of the now-convicted Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, covered in detail by Ali Gharib in this space last week, is only the most glaring example supporting the idea that the human rights situation in Iran… Continue Reading

The Green Movement Stirs and Rouhani Responds

by LobeLog’s Tehran correspondent On February 14, Iran’s Green Movement leaders will enter their fifth year of house arrest. Despite his implicit campaign promise, President Hassan Rouhani has been unable to gain the release of former Prime Minister Mir Hossein… Continue Reading

Iran Human Rights: President Rouhani, Listen to Your Public

by Sussan Tahmasebi* While enjoying unprecedented successes in international relations, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani seems to be suffering a stalemate when it comes to building trust and cooperation between different factions in the Iranian state. As a result, he seems plagued… Continue Reading