A ‘Medieval Law’: Iran’s New Hijab Bill Cracks Down on Women
Iran Unveils New Hijab Law: Tehran on November 30 released the full text of a new bill that would increase punishments on women who refuse to wear the mandatory hijab, or headscarf,...
Guardian Council
Iran Should Stay on the Global Terror Finance and Money Laundering Blacklist
On October 21, the plenary of the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, will convene in Paris. Should the organization that sets global standards for countering money laundering and terror finance...
Op-eds
Iran’s House of Cards
The Islamic Republic’s succession games are just getting started.
Op-eds
Syria’s Assad Meets With Putin as Russia Draws Closer to ‘Resistance Axis’
Latest Developments Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on July 24 to discuss recent events in the Middle East and beyond. Russian state media circulated...
Flash Briefs
2040: The year Iran predicts Israel will be destroyed. Now is the time to prepare
The Islamic Republic is developing a comprehensive strategy to bring about Israel’s elimination as a sovereign state.
Op-eds
Mass Boycott by Voters Persists as Masoud Pezeshkian Wins Iran Presidential Election
At least 50 percent of Iranian voters boycotted the second round of the Islamic Republic’s presidential election on July 5, which resulted in a victory for Masoud Pezeshkian, touted...
Flash Briefs
Iran’s ‘election’ seeks to consolidate regime control
Iran’s Guardian Council, a 12-person body appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that approves candidates for office, permitted six out of 80 potential candidates to run in the special presidential...
Op-eds
Iranian Election Registers Lowest Voter Turnout Since 1979
The Iranian presidential election on June 28, which now moves to a runoff vote between two candidates, recorded the lowest voter turnout in the Islamic Republic of Iran’s history....
Flash Briefs
Iran’s Supreme Leader Pushes for ‘Maximum’ Turnout in Presidential Election Amid Voter Disillusionment
On the eve of Iran’s June 28 presidential election, the Islamic Republic’s leaders have bolstered efforts to drive voters to the polls. Yet the clerical regime faces widespread...
Flash Briefs
Biden Administration Allows Iran to Run Absentee Voter Stations on U.S. Soil
The Biden administration is permitting Iran to set up absentee voter sites for its upcoming presidential election on U.S. soil, Voice of America (VOA) reported on June 22. Iranian...
Flash Briefs
Why Does Iran Hold So Many Elections?
Constant—and highly stage-managed—elections are a useful tool for Iran's theocratic leadership to remain in power.
Op-eds
Iran’s Presidential ‘Election’ Seeks to Consolidate Regime’s Control
Iran’s Guardian Council, a 12-person body appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that approves candidates for office, has permitted six out of 80 potential candidates to run in the special presidential...
Policy Briefs
Former Iranian President Ahmadinejad Vying to Succeed Raisi
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registered as a presidential candidate on June 2. Elections to select a successor to the late Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter...
Flash Briefs
Iran’s Noor Plan Intensifies Crackdown on Women
Amid escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, the Islamic Republic’s Law Enforcement Command (LEC) introduced a new initiative called the “Noor” campaign to further crack...
Flash Briefs
Reading the Tea Leaves on Iran’s Other “Election”
The newly “re-elected” Assembly of Experts will play a large part in determining Iran’s post-Khamenei leadership.
Op-eds
Iran to Hold Parliamentary Elections but May Face Low Turnout
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28 called for mass turnout in Iran’s elections on March 1. Yet even government polling indicates that the majority of...
Flash Briefs
Waiting for Thermidor: America’s Foreign Policy Towards Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran may be on an accelerated schedule for revolutionary decay, at least if compared to the USSR.
Op-eds
From ‘Maximum Pressure’ to ‘Minimal Resistance’
The Biden administration has barely responded to Iran’s escalation of its nuclear program.
Op-eds
Getting Out of Iran’s Way
The election of Ebrahim Raisi shows Iran's lack of interest in peace with the West—and the perils of pulling out of the Middle East altogether.
Op-eds
In Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s clerics have groomed and promoted their ruthless enforcer
This month, Iran held the most boring — and most consequential — presidential election in its history. Boring because the election was rigged virtually from the start. What made it consequential is...