Iranian nuclear programme
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Hic sunt dracones
Is Iran set to forfeit its national interests to China?
A partnership planned between Iran and China is intended to strategically link the two countries for a quarter of a century. It is unclear, however, exactly what the alliance will entail and whether its lofty ambitions can indeed be fulfilled. Iranian politicians of almost every persuasion remain highly sceptical. By Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Fifth anniversary of the JCPOA
Saving the Iran nuclear deal
Five years after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was concluded, it is on life support, following the US's reinstatement of sanctions and Iran's return to enrichment activities. Before two decades of diplomacy are squandered, all parties involved must step back from the precipice, says Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
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First INSTEX transaction with Iran
Trade as an obstacle course
Germany and other member states of the European Union are for the first time making use of the so-called INSTEX mechanism to circumvent the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States. By Birgit Svensson in Cairo
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E3, Russia and China
Solving the nuclear deal stalemate with Iran
The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran is in jeopardy. European governments should use the JCPOA’s dispute-resolution mechanism both to pursue immediate measures to de-escalate regional tensions and to explore a follow-up agreement – or an alternative, should the current deal collapse. By Volker Perthes
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U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East
Slave to the Trumpian impulse
Beyond the latest crisis with Iran, current U.S. Middle East policy is nothing if not chaotic. Many fear that the Trumpian approach could irreparably damage future U.S. administrations and international order as a result. By Stasa Salacanin
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Following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani
Tehran weighs its next move
In recent years, Tehran had pushed a clever public-relations campaign to depict Soleimani as a Napoleon- or Caesar-like warrior-poet. He was even mooted as a likely presidential candidate in the next election. Any public sympathy for Soleimani will therefore now extend to the regime, at least in the short run. By Abbas Milani
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Interview with Nader Hashemi on the protests in Iran
Violence "reflects the Iranian regime's desperation"
The recent protests in Iran were not as peaceful as the Green Movement of 2009, something that political scientist Nader Hashemi attributes to the actions of the security forces. Interview by Azadeh Fathi
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Interview with Omid Nouripour on the protests in Iran
"The Europeans lack courage"
Iran's President Rouhani has declared the violent protests in the country, which have lasted for days, to be over. Omid Nouripour, foreign policy spokesman of the German Green party, regards the USA, but also the Europeans, as being partially responsible for the current situation. Interview by Christoph Hasselbach
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Foreign academics risk arrest in Iran
Tehran's new hostage policy
Political hostage takings are nothing new in Iran. But the detention of several western academics represents a new dimension. There are grounds for suspecting that hardliners in the judiciary, intelligence service and Revolutionary Guard Corps are intent on scuppering talks to salvage the nuclear accord. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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The mirage of regime change
Why the United States is Khamenei’s bogeyman
According to the leadership in Tehran, the USA is driven by an insurmountable hostility towards Iran. But even if Trump's policy of "maximum pressure" seems to confirm this notion, the U.S. government is not pursuing a policy of regime change. By Payam Ghalehdar & Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Maximum pressure and asymmetrical tactics
Dangerous shifts in the U.S.-Iranian stand-off
As the United States and Iran face off in the Persian Gulf, their asymmetric conflict risks spiralling out of control. Unless the rest of the world gets involved, the dangerous game both countries are playing could end in direct confrontation. Analysis by Volker Perthes
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Reassessing the Islamic Republic
Did the Iranian revolution deliver?
According to the well-known Tehran political science professor, Sadegh Zibakalam, if Iran were to hold a referendum on the Islamic Republic today, over 70% would clearly oppose it. Forty years on from the foundation of the Islamic Republic, Ali Fathollah-Nejad revisits the promises of the revolution to explore why this is the case