Iran

In the annual Press Freedom Index by the Reporters Without Border, it is no surprise that Iran ranked as one of the worst countries for journalists.  Iran, who was ranked 166th in 2008, has fallen to 172nd this year.  The only countries to fare worst than Iran are Turkmenistan (173rd), North Korea (174th) and Eritrea […]

The terrorist attacked that killed more than 42 people, including 11 commanders of Iran’s elite Islamic Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, is being blamed on Pakistan.  Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused Pakistan of having links to the bombers who carried out a suicide attack.  President Ahmadinejad is quoted as saying that he knew “some security agents […]

[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/gFc0zFUA9r0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] This Al-Jazeera video examines the strong trade relationship that exist between China and Iran.  As the report shows, oil exports, which account for nearly half of Iran’s revenues , are being cut off from the West, they are being increasingly exported to Asian countries – and a big percentage […]

Last week as the world buzzed with discussions about whether President Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Price or not, a grave human rights injustice was taking place in Iran.  Three protesters arrested for demonstrating against the disputed June reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have been given the death penalty. The Amnesty International has a press […]

My last blog examined the public opinion in Iran, looking at how the Iranians felt about their nuclear program and their perception about the United States.  Continuing with the theme of deciphering public opinion, this blog will examine the American public’s viewpoint.  The Pew Center for the People and the Press has released a survey […]

The WorldPublicOpinion.org (WPO) has released a new poll on how Iranians view their nuclear program. The poll has some interesting revelations; the most pertinent being that two-thirds of Iranians would favor their government precluding the development of nuclear weapons in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran. The poll also found that only […]

Anytime there is a Shia rebellion in the Arab world, Iran gets excoriated.  Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran for fomenting Shia unrest in their country, and now Yemen is following the same footsteps.  A leading Yemeni religious leader has accused Iran of inciting violence in the north of the country, where a predominantly […]

This Al Jazeera program provides a very interesting discussion on the whether there has been a loss of legitimacy since the disputed election and if the escalation of protests will affect Iran’s regional role.  The program also provides a background on the Iranian history and Iran’s influence in the region. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/k-F_9qV0AYE” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” […]

Yesterday was a very historical day as the Iranian delegation met with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia in Geneva.  It is a little too soon to judge the efficacy of these talks, but there has been some positive news.  As the New York Times reported, Iran has agreed to […]

Tomorrow Obama administration’s essay at diplomacy with Iran will take place.  While some are applauding this move as a new era in the Iran- U.S. relationship, the Wall Street Journal is reminding people that this is not the first time the United States has reached across to negotiate with Iran.  In his Op-ed, We’ve Been […]

[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/URFn9IdecLY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Last week ended on a huge Iran shocker: discovery of a new enrichment plant near the city of Qom.  This week is also starting with a bang: Iran has tested two long-range missiles which defense analysts say are capable of hitting Israel or US bases in the Gulf region.  […]

All the newspapers are buzzing with one news: the disclosure of a clandestine uranium enrichment plant in Iran.  Here is President Obama’s statement on the Iranian nuclear facility that he made along with UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown  and French President Sarkozy today at the G-20 meeting. PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Good morning.  We are here to […]