Category: Iran

Overview. Nuclear negotiations will go to a seventh round next month. Progress in the sixth round appears to have been limited, to the frustration of the United States and allies. Meanwhile, unrest triggered by popular dissatisfaction at power and water supply shortages has roots in wider economic woes. JCPOA v 2.0.…… Read the rest

Overview. Hardline conservative Raisi wins the presidency as predicted on record-breaking low voter turnout. While it is in his interests to pursue – or abide by – a revived JCPOA should one materialise, he has no intention of discussing non-nuclear agenda items with the US, meaning Iran’s international relationships are set to worsen.…… Read the…

Overview. JCPOA revival talks continued this month while domestically the final list of Presidential hopefuls became clearer. The Guardian Council weeded out heavy hitting candidates who may have challenged Khamenei’s favoured Ebrahim Raisi, the current Chief Justice and front runner. Presidential Election. The Guardian Council, which vets candidates for national office, approved seven candidates to…

Overview. Three rounds of indirect talks between Iran and the US took place in April, producing some encouraging noises. Despite both US State Department and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokespeople ending the last round cautioning that progress was slow, and that major issues remained, the talks appear not to have been derailed by the remarkable (Israeli)…

Overview. The New Year (Nowruz) holiday takes place against the backdrop of tightening coronavirus restrictions and no let-up in the geopolitical situation. Signals of a move towards a JCPOA-like agreement look unlikely before the June presidential elections. A new strategic partnership is signed with China and the Suez blockage helps make the case for an…

Overview. Tehran raised its pressure on Washington to move quickly on sanctions relief amid signs that President Biden’s administration is not in a rush to do so. Iranian politicians’ announcements on further deviations from nuclear compliance exemplify this. Biden’s team will coordinate with European allies on Iran policy in a marked change from his predecessor’s.………