Iranian peoples

Did Iran Use Chemical Weapons on Protesters?

The international community should immediately investigate accusations that the Islamic Republic attacked demonstrators with weapons of mass destruction.

How Washington can help Iranians prepare for the next internet blackout

Excerpt As the internet went dark in Iran on Jan. 8, the slaughter began. The regime committed unprecedented violence, killing possibly more than 30,000 Iranians, most during...

In the Eye of the Storm

Iranian Influence Operation Floods X With Anti-Protest Messaging

Following weeks of intense protests against the ruling regime across Iran’s 31 provinces, Tehran is continuing to flood social media with bots, turning social media into a tool of domestic repression....

‘Completely False’: Tehran’s Top Prosecutor Denies 800 Executions Were Halted After Trump Intervention

Iranian Prosecutor Denies U.S. Claim to Have Prevented 800 Hangings: Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, vehemently denied President Donald Trump’s claim that his threats...

The enemies of America’s enemies

Iran, Venezuela, and Ukraine are very different countries, but most Iranians, Venezuelans and Ukrainians want the same thing: to not be ruled by tyrants.  They look to America for support – which...

Trump’s hesitation on Iran: Why a prompt strike, even if only symbolic, is crucial

The world, including Israel, went to sleep a few days ago with the understanding and expectation of a significant American strike on Iran, following the brutal suppression of protests, the indiscriminate...

With Iran, Another “Failure of Imagination”

A Decisive Moment for Iran

Aldrich Ames and the Enemy Within

I had a friend, a Soviet-East Europe Division case officer in the Central Intelligence Agency who served in Moscow in the 1980s. He was extremely well-suited to operations behind the Iron Curtain: He had...

Not for Gaza, but for Iran: Protesters reject regime’s global proxy wars

The universities, historically the bastions of anti-monarchist Marxism, are now echoing with chants of “Down with the three corrupts! Mullah, leftist, Mujahid.”

People of Iran keep rising up against tyranny, and we should help them

Iranians have once again taken to the streets in defiance of their Islamist and authoritarian government. What began as demonstrations triggered by economic grievances — with the rial plummeting...

How Decades of Failed Governance Poisoned Iran’s Air

The human and economic costs of Iran’s poor air quality are an indictment of the Islamic Republic’s corrupt governance.

The paradox of Iranian wealth: Why high exports are failing the people 

The Iranian economy is entering a dangerous phase of stagnation and inflation, despite securing revenue streams, signaling the nation's lack of wealth.

Keep US aid and wartime replenishment off Israel’s 2026 base budget

Finance Minister Smotrich's 2026 defense budget must exclude US aid and wartime replenishment to ensure readiness against future threats.

Don’t Fall for the Islamic Republic’s Attempt at “Christian-Washing”

On a recent trip to Israel, Mark Walker, President Trump’s nominee to be Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, did not mince words about the administration’s priorities. “We want...

Human Rights Are the Key to a Free Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s president will address the United Nations even as his government silences its citizens with the noose. Masoud Pezeshkian, scheduled to visit New York on September 23 for...

Using Human Rights as a Weapon Against Iran

The uprising began because of an Iranian woman’s hair. In September 2022, Iran’s morality police arrested and then killed 22-year-old Mahsa Amini for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Her murder...

The West must back Reza Pahlavi’s Iran transition plan

Reza Pahlavi and his team guarantee renewal. The West must recognize and support it, as the first Iranian-designed road map with broad public support and input.

Iran faces a perfect storm of domestic failures

With water shortages, heat waves and power outages, if the population rises up in protest, Washington must be ready to help.