Category: Iran

Overview. Another high-octane month on both geopolitical and domestic fronts for Iran: JCPOA parties meet in Vienna and narrowly avoided striking a deathblow to the nuclear deal; Iran and the US agreed to a prisoner swap; and, speculation surrounds a visit to Japan by President Rouhani. Domestically, Rouhani presents a resistance budget to the Majlis…

Overview. Iran re-joined the long list of countries suffering civil unrest this month. Security forces reacted brutally to general discontent over removal of fuel subsidies as violence quickly spread to all major cities and lasted 11 days. Although its survival never looked in doubt – and the reforms will strengthen Iran’s economic resiliency in the…

Overview. Another tanker attack, this time an Iranian target, kept tensions high in the Gulf through October. International mediation sought to reduce the risk of conflict in the region. The US piled on further designations and sanctions continuing its ‘maximum pressure’ strategy, while FATF compliance remains a controversial topic in Iran and unresolved.…… Read the…

Overview. The desire for a bilateral meeting at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Trump’s part was said to be a factor in the sacking of the stridently anti-Iran US National Security Advisor this month. While John Bolton’s departure may be positive for US-Iran relations in the medium term, serious attacks on Saudi oil targets,…

Overview. Diplomatic moves around the G7 raised hopes of direct US-Iran talks, but initial positive noises from Iran were rolled back as conservatives applied pressure to the Reformist government. The Iranian tanker held in Gibraltar Grace 1 was released, while Iran still holds UK-registered vessel Stena Impero.  Domestically, anti-corruption arrests look increasingly politically-motivated and are…

Overview. Once again, Europe finds itself in a difficult position, as it tries to uphold the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) in the face of the American policy of maximum pressure on one hand, and Iranian misbehaviour on the other. Iran no longer feels compelled to comply with enrichment and storage constraints imposed by an agreement…