The Latest - Iran - Energy
Nukes and a Fatwa
In the same week that Iranian nuclear negotiators in Istanbul mentioned an alleged fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banning nuclear weapons to offer reassurances about Iran’s peaceful nuclear intentions. more...
Negotiations That Matter
Since we don’t know what Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, said at the recent confab in Istanbul, we can’t be sure that Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu was right to dismiss the powwow as a “freebie” for Tehran. more...
Iran’s Missing Nuclear Fatwa
Hillary Clinton’s State Department policy relies in part on Ayatollah Khamenei’s supposed anti-nuclear fatwa. But the edict may not even exist. more...
The Magician Behind Iran’s Vanishing Oil Tankers
With sanctions bearing down on Iran, the Iranian shipping industry has been putting on a carnival of flim-flam to hide its doings. In the latest twist on this sanctions-dodging performance, Iran’s oil tankers have begun vanishing from the public radar. more...
The Khamenei Fatwa Is a Ruse
Speaking to reporters about Iran’s nuclear program before the weekend talks in Istanbul, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “We’re looking for concrete results,” and continued, “They assert that their program is purely peaceful. more...
Iran’s Armenian Connection
On March 20, Armenian defense minister Seyran Ohanyan visited Washington, D.C. Talks focused on U.S. defense assistance to the small republic, and regional issues were also discussed. more...
Can Iranians Compromise in Istanbul?
There is no reason to be optimistic about the talks, despite the initial mood expressed by Brussels and Washington. Iran refused to rejoin talks for 14 months and played an elaborate game of brinkmanship over the location of the talks until the last minute. more...
Iran is Not Iraq, and Past Mistakes Should Not Cloud Our Judgment
As prospects of an Israeli attack against Iran's nuclear program mount, the concerns of many are understandable - an Iranian response, some argue, would be devastating, and the potential for faulty intelligence - as in Iraq - is high. more...
How Washington Encourages Israel to Bomb Iran
In recent speeches, interviews and private meetings, President Obama has been trying hard to dissuade Israel from bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. All along, however, he's actually made it much easier for Israel to attack. more...
Hit Iran with Unity
We are fast approaching a point when sanctions will no longer be able to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program. As tempting as it may be, Republican candidates should set aside the opportunity to score quick political points and support the president in taking a bold step on sanctions... more...
For America, It’s All About Timing. Can Israel Afford It?
Beyond the speech atmospherics of the Aipac conference where, in rapid succession, Israel's president Shimon Peres, US President Barack Obama, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta all spoke at length about Iran... more...
Closing Tehran’s Sanctions Loopholes
In his speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington on Sunday, President Barack Obama once again promised that the United States would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. more...
Russia’s Chariot Calls at Iran
It’s time for the next installment in the adventures of the Chariot, a Russian-operated freighter that made headlines in January for delivering tons of Russian munitions to Syria. more...
Israel Has the Power to Knock Out Iran’s Nuclear Facilities
Israel's “determination to prevent confrontation states . . . from gaining access to nuclear weapons” is the preemptive foreign policy doctrine of the Jewish state. more...
Only Crippling Sanctions Will Stop Iran
Imagine two men planning for years to escape from a high-security mental institution that is surrounded by 100 walls. On the night of their escape, they reach the 99th wall, and one asks the other, “Are you tired yet?” more...
Iran Sanctions: A Tale of Two Fleets
As financial sanctions tighten on Iran, a shift has appeared in the shipping patterns of Iran’s main cargo fleet, the state-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, or IRISL. more...
Can We Talk Our Way Out? Unlikely
The visit of IAEA inspectors to Tehran this week is the second of its kind. For years, Iran has refused to give them access to a number of suspected nuclear sites or to allow them to interview key personnel working on its nuclear programme. more...
Beat the Clock
From an American perspective, it seems that the White House has finally gotten serious about bringing the Iranian nuclear program to a halt. After President Obama’s policy of engagement came up empty more...
No to a Grand Bargain with Iran
What if the increasing hostility between Iran and the West is just a giant misunderstanding? What if, far from being the result of deep ideological disputes and inherently incompatible worldviews, the rift between Tehran and Washington is reconcilable? more...
Are Sanctions Working?
There’s pain and then there’s pain. Getting stung by a bee hurts. Having a Doberman sink his teeth into your thigh is a more intense experience. By the same token, there are sanctions and then there are sanctions. more...
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