Can Mediation Efforts Between US and Iran Succeed?

by Shireen T. Hunter     Tehran these days has been witnessing a lot of diplomatic visitors. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas just ended a visit to Iran and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo  Abe will be in Tehran in mid-June. The… Continue Reading

Trump’s Middle East Policy in Tatters

by Emile Nakhleh The confluence of the Israeli snap elections, the Arab, Muslim, and Gulf Cooperation Council summits in Mecca this past weekend, and the upcoming “Bahrain Workshop” underscores the amateur nature of President Trump’s Middle East policy. The conundrum… Continue Reading

Shinzo Abe’s Crucial Iran Visit

by Kaveh L. Afrasiabi Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Tehran next week to mediate between the United States and Iran, taking center stage in one of the most vexing global issues today threatening international peace and security. Although… Continue Reading

The Real Reason Iran’s Hardliners Don’t Want to Talk to America

by Shireen T. Hunter     Recently, President Donald Trump gave Iran’s leaders a telephone number, saying that he is waiting to talk to them. Observers and analysts in both Tehran and Washington dismissed this gesture as meaningless. Given the background… Continue Reading