Category: Iran

The new president’s cabinet, while not as inclusive as fellow reformists would like, has at least been approved by the Majilis in a show of unity, under pressure from the Supreme Leader. Pezeshkian’s political honeymoon had barely started when he was faced with his first major crisis – responding to Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader…

The new president received the Supreme Leader’s blessing and was sworn in following the result of the election earlier in July. Conservatives in the military, political and economic realms have provided public advice to him throughout the month. Of these, the most predictable are the IRGC’s warnings to avoid seeking a return to negotiations on…

Overview. The first round of the presidential election took place on 28th June, with a further round of voting now set for 5th July after no candidate won 50% of the vote. The second round will see surprise reformist Masoud Pezeshkian compete against arch hardliner Saeed Jalili; they polled 43% and 39% respectively.…… Read the…

Ebrahim Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash led to a period of national mourning. Tipped as a future Supreme Leader, Raisi was not a popular politician. His demise was widely mocked on social media in Iran, the overriding sentiment being that, for many Iranian people, any trauma associated with the crash comes from more senior…

Iran and Israel took the Middle East region to the brink of war this month as Israel’s assumption that Iran would not respond to a strike on diplomatic premises in Damascus proved flawed. Both sides resisted their own hardliners’ demands to escalate, but even their more-limited responses have crossed a Rubicon.…… Read the rest

Turnout in nationwide legislative elections was low, as expected. Conservatives – there was little else to choose from – will dominate the Majlis and Guardian Council in the next term. As the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement marks its first year, the agreement is holding up amid tensions in the region, with Iranian proxies coming under further pressure…