Iran Talks Will Resume Amid Guarded Optimism, High Stakes

by Jasmin Ramsey via IPS News Geneva – Almost exactly four months after the election of Iran’s new President, Hassan Rouhani, talks over the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear program will resume here on Tuesday. Negotiations between Iran and the P5+1… Continue Reading

The Messianic, Apocalyptic Bibi Netanyahu

by Jim Lobe & Daniel Luban For much of the past few years, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has described the ruling regime in Iran as “messianic” and “apocalyptic”, a talking point he repeated over and over again last week… Continue Reading

Reading Rouhani

by Djavad Salehi-Isfahani The diplomatic push by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to resolve the decade-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear program reached its zenith during his visit to New York in late September, exactly one year after Iran’s currency collapsed under… Continue Reading

Hope and Pessimism as Israelis, Palestinians Resume Talks

by Mitchell Plitnick via IPS News Israeli and Palestinian negotiators returned to the negotiating table on Thursday, ready to put claims by the United States that it will engage more forcefully in the negotiating process to the test. The talks,… Continue Reading

Bibi’s Gang: All the Prime Minister’s Men (and Women)

by Marsha B. Cohen Hours before the U.S. federal government shutdown, members of the House and Senate from both parties were with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a reception honoring outgoing Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor,… Continue Reading