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Articles 2008
(in chronological order, most recent articles on top)
Monday, November 10, 2008Iran Is Going MadIf you have been strong enough as not go mad from stories we have been subjected in the last months of the presidency of George W. Bush about the maddening international financial and economic crisis, it is not late, just look at what happened in the Islamic Republic of Iran in the past few days: By Safa Haeri.
Tehran Intends To Outlaw Cooperation With The BBC Persian Service TVTuesday, November 4, 2008 As the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) started running experimental programmes of its latest child, a television channel in Persian language covering Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance last week issued a statement outlawing “any form of cooperation between Iranian public or journalists with the BBC Persian television network”. By Yasamin Manteqi.
A Challenge That Is Not Economic Wednesday, October 29, 2008 As the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad finally decided to give up introducing Value Added Tax (VAT), a decision that triggered the unprecedented strike of the Bazaar in several major cities, including Tehran, pundits and economists continue to analyse the reasons behind such a defeat. By Azadeh Kian.
If Khatami Runs In Next Presidential Elections, He Would Dig His Political GraveSaturday, October 25, 2008 With the date of presidential elections in Iran approaching, the big question of the day is to know if former moderate president Hojjat-ol-eslam Mohammad Khatami will enter the arena or not. By Safa Haeri.
Israel Gets Real on IranWednesday, October 22, 2008 On the eve of his departure from political life, outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert delivered a stinging parting shot – putting under question not only the wisdom of holding on to Palestinian land, but also the feasibility of an Israeli military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. By Trita Parsi.
Who Is Behind The Bazaar Strike?Saturday, October 18, 2008 In a recent article, we said since the creation of the Islamic Republic in Iran, Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad is the “strongest president the co0untry never had, much stronger than his predecessor, the moderate Mohammad Khatami or even Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, considered as the most powerful man of the regime after the leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i”. By Safa Haeri.
Deciding The Fate Of The Mojahedin Khalq OrganisationFriday, October 10, 2008 The Bush administration inherited many of Iraq's problems when it invaded that country, including an Iranian terrorist organization funded and armed by Saddam Hussein, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO). By Trita Parsi.
Will There Be A Second Cold War?Monday, October 6, 2008 In his September 4 commentary titled Who Wants Cold War II? [1], Shlomo Ben-Ami, a former Israeli foreign minister, proposes a new world order in which the United States and Russia can be strategic partners. By Jalal Alavi.
Will Mr. Kordan resign, or be dismissed?Wednesday, October 1, 2008 Will Mr. Ali Kordan, the Iranian Interior Minister resign, or be removed and tried, now that he has admitted that his “honorary doctorate” he had claimed was obtained from Oxford University was a fake? By Safa Haeri.
Ahmadi Nezhad’s Speech At The UN Criticised Inside and Outside IranSunday, September 28, 2008 Once again, the Iranian fanatic President Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad participated at the United Nations General Assembly and once again, not only his performance was an exercise in futility, not only he made himself the fool of the international community, but also the subject of shame for the Iranians. By Safa Haeri.
Germany’s Biggest Mosque To Be Built In KolnSunday, September 21, 2008 Some 1.000 extremists who had planned a two day meeting in Koln to stop the project for building a masque in this city were finally defeated by a counter meeting by 40.000 people, most of them Turks and other Muslims, but also lawmakers from left an right, members of the Koln city council. By Parviz Mardani.
Ahmadi Nezhad: The Most Powerful of All Iranian PresidentsSaturday, September 20, 2008 Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadi Nezhad is a fanatic, he is not coherent, he is encircled by a bunch of people who do not grasp the responsibilities they are in charge, he is rude, often impolite with his subordinates, vulgar, excessive in language, an economic catastrophe and bad manager. Some describes him as “stubborn”, “unpredictable”, “instable” etc.. By Safa Haeri.
Russia raided Georgian Airfields To Be Used By Israel Against IranTuesday, September 16, 2008 As Tehran continue to deploy an oversize and much disputed diplomatic activity concerning the Caucasian crisis, placing itself on the side of Moscow and criticizing the ”unwise” decision of the pro-American Georgian President to handle the situation, an Israeli intelligence news service says that the overwhelming Russian response to the Georgian provocation was to destroy facilities that Israel could use to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. By DEBKA file.
Is An Israeli Strike On Iran Imminent? NoFriday, September 12, 2008 Is an Israeli attack on Iran imminent? The answer to this question would very much depend on what sorts of issues and constraints are taken into consideration. By Jalal Alavi.
Ahmadinejad's New Enemy: WomenTuesday, September 9, 2008 In one of his last sermons before his death, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini warned of "three threats" to his vision of Islam: the US, the Jews and women. Two decades later, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks he has the United States and the Jews in hand - and is moving on the third "enemy." By Amir Taheri.
Ahmadinejad's New Enemy: WomenMonday, September 8, 2008 In one of his last sermons before his death, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini warned of "three threats" to his vision of Islam: the US, the Jews and women. Two decades later, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks he has the United States and the Jews in hand - and is moving on the third "enemy." By Amir Taheri.
They Are Laying the Groundwork For My AssassinationFriday, September 5, 2008 After the official Iranian news agency IRNA two weeks ago officially accused the daughter of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the winner of the 2003 Nobel to have converted to Bahaism, voices have raised to express “serious concerns” for the life of the Iranian lawyer and human rights campaigner. By Safa Haeri.
We Are Witnessing The Return of Cold War ClichésMonday, September 1, 2008 “If the Georgian leadership had paid due attention to Russia’s behavior in Chechnya, it could predict Russia’s behavior and the heavy tolls would have been avoided”, says Mrs. Elaheh Koua’i. By Elaheh Koula'i.
Let’s Talk To IranThursday, August 28, 2008 As election time in the US and Israel draws nearer, the public discourse regarding the "Iranian nuclear threat" has intensified. Both candidates for the US presidency, and a few of those who would like to win become the next Prime Minister of Israel, reach higher peaks with every declaration, presenting Iran as a live bomb and an immediate threat to world peace. Indeed, Iran is not a paragon of virtue. Its aspirations exceed by far these that were described in the December 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, which turned around a previous assessment from 2005. By Nachik Navoth.
Travel Ban On Actress Golshifteh Farahani Dismayed IraniansSunday, August 24, 2008 Once again the Iranian clerical-led authorities shot themselves on their foot by preventing a popular actress from leaving the country for Hollywood where she was due to negotiate new movie contracts, after she performed in the Ridley Scott’s “Body of Lies”. By Safa Haeri.
Attacking Iran via South OssetiaThursday, August 21, 2008 An editor I once worked for told me that when his parents and grandparents discussed the day's news over dinner, they would inevitably finish by asking each other: "Is it good for the Jews?" By Stephen Kinzer.
So Far, Ahmadinejad Resists In The Storm Against Rahim Masha’iWednesday, August 20, 2008 As days passes, pressures increases on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to kick out Mr. Esfandiar Rahim Masha’i, his deputy in charge of tourism and cultural heritage for having dared to say “Iran is not enemy of the Israel people”.
Did The New Interior Minister Lied About His “Honorary Doctorate”?Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Is Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about stab Mr. Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Majles, regarded as the main rival at fanatic President in the next presidential elections at the hands of one of the Speaker’s closest ally in Mr. Ali Kordan, the new Interior Minister? By Safa Haeri.
By Attacking Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, The Islamic Republic Revives Stalinian MethodsSaturday, August 9, 2008 In a revival of the worse Stalinian methods of suppressing dissidents, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran IRNA claimed that the daughter of Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the outspoken Iranian lawyer, human rights campaigner and winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace in 2003 has converted to Baha’ism, a fate outlawed in Iran and considered as a “seditious sect”. By Safa Haeri.
Iran Is Seeking To Gain Time While Waiting For Mahdi To ComeWednesday, August 6, 2008 Iran’s international situation is so disastrous, the officials so discredited, the moral so low, the despair and discontent so deep, the corruption so generalized and so obvious, the regime so hated that in order to divert the attention of the public to other issues and mobilize them behind a fear factor, the decision-makers are genuinely looking to a show-down with the United States or Israel, or the two, informed sources in Tehran told Iran Press Service. By Safa Haeri.
Drawing A Red Line With IranSaturday, August 2, 2008 The Bush administration's decision to open direct contacts with Iran is to be welcomed, but precisely because it marks such a break with previous U.S. policy, it also carries a great danger. This is that hard-liners in the American and Israeli governments will treat this Western proposal as a last chance for the Iranians, to be followed by an attack if Tehran fails to accept it. By Anatol Lieven and Trita Parsi *.
Mullahs’ OilSaturday, July 26, 2008 Since 1979, the United States has maintained a trade restriction on the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). Since the revelation of IRI’s nuclear ambitions in 2002, at the initiation of the group of six, the United Nations Security Council imposed three rounds of economic sanctions on Iran. None of these measures convinced the regime to turn its back to its nuclear ambitions. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
We Are No One’s Enemy, Including Israeli-PalestiniansTuesday, July 22, 2008 “Sorry, when I said Iranians are friendly with the Israeli people, actually I wanted to say Palestinian people”, Mr. Esfandiar Rahim Mosha’i, the Iranian vice-President in charge of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Organisation corrected on 21 July 2008 his earlier statement in which he had said that “Iranians are friendly with the American and Israeli peoples. Actually, we think the American people are one of the best in the world”.
Cyrus, A Great Despot King, Like The Last ShahMonday, July 21, 2008 In an article carried recently by the online site of the influential German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, entitled “UN Treasure Honors Persian Despot”, Herr Mahias Schultz argues that like the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlvai, Emperor Cyrus the Great was “also a despot” and therefore, the United Nations must throw out the document referring to Cyrus the paternalism of human rights! By Safa Haeri.
Mass Executions of 88 in IranMonday, July 14, 2008 The arrest of Mrs. Bahareh Hedayat and Mohammad Hashemi, two student activists and the escalation of crackdowns on the civil society by the ruling ayatollahs in Iran is a follow up to the mass executions of 1988, says an Iranian political analyst in Germany. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
The Alternative To An Israeli Attack On IranThursday, July 3, 2008 Serious diplomacy, not military action, will bring regional security By Shlomo Ben-Ami And Trita Parsi.
Iran's Troubling OppositionSaturday, June 28, 2008 On Monday the British parliament removed the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) from the U.K.'s list of banned terrorist organizations. The decision upholds a Court of Appeals' ruling in May that there is no evidence linking the Iranian opposition group to terrorism, and that it should be free to recruit, organize and raise money in Britain. By Amir Taheri.
Ahmadinejad's New Claim: The Americans Wanted to Kidnap MeFriday, June 27, 2008 Almost one week after his sensational revelations that the Americans had planned to “abduct” him during his official to Baghdad more than three months ago, the fanatic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continue to refuse to give slightest details about the abduction. By Arash Cigarchi (with additional imputs by Safa Haeri).
"Neglecting Democracy Is More Dangerous Than Nuclear Weapons": Shirin EbadiTuesday, June 24, 2008 While the United States and Britain are talking about tougher sanctions on Iran, including sanctions on its gas and oil industry -- Tehran's major source of revenue – Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Noble Peace Prize laureate and international human rights defender, argues that this tactic has not weakened the government, but the Iranian people. By Omid Memarian.
On Iran And Mideast Peace: Who Is Obama Trying To Please?Thursday, June 19, 2008 When, in a recent AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference, Barack Obama revealed some of the specifics of his revised approach in dealing with Iran and its controversial nuclear program, many John McCain supporters interpreted it as either a sign of weakness or an indication of a flawed character on his part that is out to deceive the US electorate. By Jalal Alavi.
Iran On The Same Path As the Defunct Soviet Union: Ebrahim YazdiTuesday, June 17, 2008 “Under present conditions and circumstances, Iran goes the same way the USSR went, to collapse from inside. This is the conclusion most of Iranians officials, from left or right, except the leader, have reached”, says a former Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister who suggest to change, or reform the present Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. By Safa Haeri.
For France, Nuclear Crisis Is Separate From Human Rights in IranSunday, June 15, 2008 In an exclusive interview with the independent, pro-reform Iranian internet newspaper RoozOnLine, French Foreign Affairs Minister Bernard Kouchner says France’s concdern about the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran is not “linked” to the country’s controversial nuclear programmes. By Hoseyn Bastani and Noushabeh Amiri.
The Accuser Is Accused, And JailedWednesday, June 11, 2008 As expected, The man who created sensation on 3 May 2008 by naming more than 44 high-ranking personalities, including nine senior clerics as the biggest corrupt people in the Islamic Republic establishment was arrested, charged with “confusing public opinion, slandering, dissemination of false accusations and unpaid loans contacted from a bank etc.. and send behind bars.
Is Ali Khameneh’i “Cleaning” His House?Tuesday, June 10, 2008 Who is behind the unprecedented revelations made by an unknown lawmaker who exposed the octopus of corruption in the Islamic Republic of Iran? Is Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the all powerful leader of the regime trying to clean his house from senior corrupt elements of the ruling theocracy? And how to explain the silence of the people whose names had been given as senior corruptors? By Mahboubeh Niknahad and Safa Haeri.
Larijani's Election Can Boost Congressional DiplomacySunday, June 8, 2008 Iranian Nobel prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has long argued that the United States and Iran need to have a dialogue with each other at three different levels: between their executive branches, between their civil societies and between their legislatures. By Trita Parsi.
UN Apologised To Iranian Journalist Ahmad RafatThursday, June 5, 2008 The United Nations Food And Agriculture Organisation apologised Wednesday to Mr. Ahmad Rafat, an internationally known Iranian journalist who was barred from the Summit the UN food agtency organised in Rome to discuss and review the growing world food and agriculture crisis, allegedly due to opposition from the Islamic state whose president was among participants here. By Safa Haeri.
A Grand Ayatollah And An Influencital Journalist Takes The Defence of Baha'sWednesday, May 28, 2008 Barely one week after the Shi’a Muslim’s highest religious authority and one of Iran’s most courageous journalist and commentator demanded for the first time that Iranian Baha’is “should have equal civilian rights as all other citizens of the land”, fundamentalist and radical Shi’a circles staunchly opposed to the Baha’is started a vigorous campaign of denunciations and calumnies against the members of the faith that is forbidden by the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran. By Safa Haeri.
Can Iran become a gendarme from a bandit?Monday, May 26, 2008 The exhibition of force of Hezbolah in Beirut confirms Iran the rank of regional power. National interest, as much or more than the Islamist ideology, guides its action. And the clumsy policy of Bush plays in its favor. By Javier Valenzuela.
A Syrian-Israel Peace Is Hardest Blow to IranFriday, May 23, 2008 The confirmation by both Israel and Syria that they are talking to each other directly on the possibilities of signing a peace treaty thanks to mediation of Turkey has several corollaries, which are the conditions of each side for such an event, but for sure, it wold be the hardest blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran in decades. By Safa Haeri.
Book BurningMonday, May 19, 2008 "We recall in this days with shame that 75 years ago - not just here in Berlin, but in all of Germany – people, in tens of thousands, applauded and cheered as the books of Erich Koestler, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Kurt Tucholsky and many others were thrown into the fire by the Nazis", said the German President, Horst Koehler, in a speech at Berlin's Academy of Arts, on the occasion of (Bücherverbrennung) “book burning” of the Nazi regime. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
The Neocon Roots of Iranian-Israeli ExtremismSaturday, May 17, 2008 What do Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel have in common? One thing is for certain: they are both true reflections of the neoconservative rise in US foreign policy, which itself was a result of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, which razed the Twin Towers in New York and parts of the Pentagon. By Jalal Alavi.
Dangerous GamesThursday, May 15, 2008 Iranians are known to be among the world’s most extremist peoples, if not physically, but certainly verbally, making them no body’s real friends, but sometimes real enemies. By Safa Haeri.
The Disease That Kills All dictatorial RegimesFriday, May 9, 2008 In a speech on 4 May in the small southern city of Kazeroun, Fars Province, where he was on a visit, Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the megalomaniac leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran warned “anybody who try to divide the people from the Government and drum on differences, he is acting against the interests of the regime and the nation”, touching on the very disease that destroy all dictatorial regimes. By Safa Haeri.
Mohammad Khatami Attacked By Hard Line LawmakersTuesday, May 6, 2008 In un unprecedented move, 77 lawmakers, all of them belonging to the radical majority of the Majles, have introduced a petition against Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami, accused of slander and calumnies against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Ahmadinejad’s “Black Week”Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Last week was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s “black week”, as in less than six days, he was bitterly criticized, sadly humiliated, badly rebuked and fiercely attacked by some most senior ayatollahs, important ministers and lawmakers. By Safa Haeri.
Ahmadinejad PhenomenonFriday, April 25, 2008 Among Islamic Republic of Iran's seniors, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is more known for his fierce rhetoric and odd behaviour. His absurd comments, lack of rationality, revolting habits and odd gestures suggest a personal immaturity or even abnormality. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
Ahmadinejad Attacks Haddad AdelWednesday, April 23, 2008 In an unprecedented criticism of the Head of the Legislative power by his counterpart at the Executive branch, the fanatic Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accuses Mr. Qolamali Haddad Adel of “calumny”, “hasty” and “illegal” the decision of the Speaker of the Majles to communicate the concerned administrations the application of laws passed by the Majles. By Safa Haeri.
Will Bush Attack Iran?Sunday, April 20, 2008 As George W. Bush’s final term in office will soon come to an end, many around the world are wondering what his next move will be with regard to Iran and its controversial nuclear program. By Jalal Alavi.
Is Ayatollah Khamenehi the Godfather of Iranian oil mafia?Friday, April 18, 2008 If one is to believe the Iranian President’s “confessions” concerning the situation of corruption in the Islamic Republic, one has to reach one conclusion: That the Godfather of Iranian Mafia is no other person that Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the “Guide” of the Islamic Republic. By Safa Haeri.
Don’t Panic: Iranian Nuclear Fiesta Was A Big FiascoMonday, April 14, 2008 According to Mr. Hoseyn shari’atmadari, a high-ranking officer of the Intelligence Ministry appointed as the Editor of the radical daily Keyhan by Ayatollah Ali Khameneh’i, the megalomaniac “guide” of the Islamic Republic, to whom he is as Joseph Goebbels was to Adolph Hitler, Ahmadinejad’s answer to the diktat of the “oppressors” had been “defiance”, by doing the reverse of what they wanted to impose on those which stands on their way”. By Safa Haeri.
Iran And Moqtada Al-Sadr Victors Of Battle Of AsraThursday, April 3, 2008 If there remained the slightest doubt as for the major influence Iran has on the affairs of its Iraqi neighbor, the cease-fire concluded on Sunday 30 March, between the radical militia chief, the Shi’ite Moqtada Al-Sadr and three missi dominici representing the Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, also Shi’ite, should have definitively raised it. By Patrice Claude.
Results of US Invasion of IraqMonday, March 31, 2008 Iraq was occupied by the US-led troops from 20 March to first of May 2003. Five years have passed since the Bush administration launched the war on terror beginning with the campaign entitled "Operation Iraqi Freedom" to topple the Saddam regime in Iraq. Yet the panoramic picture of Iraq continues to remain in a sombre situation. The US was yet to reach its target to “disarm” Saddam Hussein’s regime of weapons of mass destruction in the fight against “terrorism”, but nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons were never found in Iraq after the military occupation. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
Iran Continue Military Nuclear Activities: Le MondeFriday, March 28, 2008 A leading French newspaper said on 26 March 2008 that it had access to documents proving that not only a report of the American intelligence services saying Iran had stopped its military nuclear programmes on 2003 is not correct, but the regime continued these activities after 2003.
Why the Nuclear Programme Undermines Iran's IndependenceFriday, March 21, 2008 "Whatever happens, grin and declare victory!" This is the advice given by "Yalanchi Pahlevan", a character in Iranian folklore, to anyone with heroic ambitions but lacking the wherewithal to achieve them. A puny shrimp of a man, "Yalanchi Pahlevan" imitates big muscular fellows in picking fights with toughs several times his size. When, inevitably, he is thrown like a feather, he just gets up, beats his chest and declares victory. By Amir Taheri.
'We Have Lost International Trust'Wednesday, March 19, 2008 Grand Ayatollah Hoseynali Montazeri, the highest authority of the Shi’ites worldwide, once again expressed criticism of the Government of the fanatic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and called on the government to, “bearing in mind the current difficulties, renounces its emotive and extremist policies and strives to overcome the current isolation, to prevent political and economic pressures from crushing the country and the population". By Ahmad Rafat.
The Significance of Now RouzMonday, March 17, 2008 All Iranians, but also Kurds, Afghans, Tajiks, most other central Asian nations as well as many Iraqis and Turks, whatever their religious beliefs, language or origins and wherever they live, are strongly attached to the old traditions of Now Rouz, meaning New Year. By Abdolhoseyn Zarrinkoub.
Iran Parliamentary Elections: A Non EventFriday, March 14, 2008 Turn out in the first round of Legislative elections in Iran was “moderate”, as people, exacerbated by rising prices, inflation, further restrictions in already much limited freedom, are more busy with the New Year festivities – on 20 March -- than an event that, under present conditions, has little impact on their daily lives. By Safa Haeri.
The Police General Likes Women Praying NudeTuesday, March 11, 2008 The Police Commander in charge of implementing Islamic Morality and fighting against hooligans and social trouble-makers has been arrested in a residence in company of six women whom he had ordered to make their prayer completely nude , according to well informed sources and independent internet sites.
Bush ََََAdministration Has Fueled the Human Rights Abuses in IranTuesday, March 11, 2008 The Bush Administration's apparent disregard for the expressed wishes of Iranian human-rights defenders has made a bad situation worse. When it comes to human rights in the Middle East, the Bush Administration has claimed to walk the walk. But that walk clearly has a limp. By Trita Parsi.
Women’s DayFriday, March 7, 2008 In 1910, International Women's Day (March 8) was celebrated for the first time in many industrial nations. As a proposal of the Socialist International, the day demanded the right for women to vote and to hold public office, right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job. By Jahanshah Rashidian.
New SCNS Guidelines For The PressThursday, March 6, 2008 In a “secret” letter to all major Iranian newspapers and news agencies, the Supreme Council on National Security has established a guideline for the media about the way issues concerning the nuclear question, the Iran-Iraq relations, Tehran-Washington talks on Iraq, elections etc and at the same time proposes subject for articles.
Ahmadinejad's Battle at HomeWednesday, March 5, 2008 It is a mistake to downplay the recent statements by Hassan Rohani, the advisor to the Iranian Guide Ali Khameneh’i and the former official in charge of the nuclear file, this file which has become the fundamental reason behind the confrontation between Iran and the world. By Elias Harfoush.
In Dealing With Iran, The West Must Talk to Khameneh’I, Not AhmadinejadSunday, March 2, 2008 WITH the release of America's National Intelligence Estimate, according to which Iran has suspended its nuclear weapons programme, the prospect of military confrontation with the Bush administration dimmed. But months later, it is clear that the danger is not past, because Iran has not renounced the production of nuclear weapons, which its enriched uranium could eventually be used to fuel. By Mehdi Khalaji.
Khameneh’i’s Leadership Challenged By Mr. Hassan RohaniFriday, February 29, 2008 As rumours about the health conditions of the megalomaniac Iranian Leader amplifies in closed circuits, one of the most influential and educated clerics for the first time criticised his policies and leadership.
ElBaradei Angry At America And England: IRNAThursday, February 28, 2008 “The United Nations nuclear watchdog’s General Director has expressed his dissatisfaction at the activities of some Western powers in deforming the well documented and legal report of his Agency”, the official Iranian news agency quoted Arab diplomat at the International Atomic Energy as having reported. By Safa Haeri.
IAEA Report Is Ambiguous And Negative For Iran: Political AnalystsTuesday, February 26, 2008 As the Iranian regime’s highest-ranking officials, both civilians and militaries and their media continue to drum up the latest report of the international nuclear watchdog as a “great victory” for Iran, independent and reformist press and political analysts for the first time cast doubt and accuses the Government to lie to the people. By Safa Haeri.
More Clashes Between Angry People And Security ForcesSunday, February 24, 2008 Hundreds of angry people, most of them youngsters, clashed with security and anti-riot units Saturday evening, to liberate a young girl from being arrested by Moral Safeguarding units, several independent and students news sites reported.
The Fight for Iran’s FreedomTuesday, February 19, 2008 It is easy to criticize U.S. policy toward the Middle East today: Washington's militaristic approach has contributed to the growth of fundamentalism and helped strengthen dictatorial regimes. Still, Iran's fundamentalist rulers often use such criticism as a way of disguising their own ineptitude and their responsibility for Iran's deplorable conditions— including the suppression of civil society, which is undergoing another severe crackdown as I write. By Ganji Akbar.
Imad Mughniyeh: Hezbollah's Phantom KilledSaturday, February 16, 2008 Imad Mughniyeh, one of the world’s most wanted men, was killed in a car bomb in the Syrian capital, Damascus, late Tuesday night. Mughniyeh was on an FBI wanted list with a US$25 million bounty on his head, equal to the bounty that the US has put for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. By Alireza Nourizadeh.
Former Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Criticises Senator McCainThursday, February 14, 2008 In a strong criticism of Senator John McCain, the front runner at the Republican Party’s primaries for the coming presidential elections in the United States, Iran’s former Foreign Affairs minister and ambassador to Washington says the Senator’s recent remarks on Iran “could have conveyed an ambiguous message in these crucial days to the American people”. By Safa Haeri.
Keyhan Criticises Rev Guards Commander and the PresidentThursday, February 14, 2008 In an unprecedented event, a newspaper known as the mouthpiece of the Iranian Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenehei strongly criticized Wednesday both the fanatic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the Commander of the Revolutionary Guards. By Safa Haeri.
Does Iranian Government Fear Educated Women?Monday, February 11, 2008 Who’s afraid of girls? The Iranian government, it seems. Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of Iranian girls enrolling in universities and other institutions of higher education. While many governments would see this as a blessing worth boasting about, that's not the case in Iran. By Iraj Gorgin.
Which Side To Believe, Paris or Tehran?Tuesday, February 5, 2008 As Paris-Tehran diplomatic relations received a new blow last week over France’s objections to Iran over latest anti-Israeli outbursts by the Iranian fanatic President, the two side’s news agencies reported completely different versions of the incident.
Iran Leader Advisor Calls For Better Ties With FranceMonday, February 4, 2008 As relations between Paris and Tehran got more frosty, an influential Iranian personality urged the fanatic President to improve ties with France and Germany and also downplayed the importance of atomic energy. By Safa Haeri.
Iran and Egypt to normalize relationsThursday, January 31, 2008 If Iran-Egypt relations are restored, it would be the first time in the life of the Islamic Republic of Iran that one of the taboos of the theocratic regime is removed, paving also the way to the normalization of relations with the United States in the one hand and easing significantly tensions in the Middle East on the other. By Safa Haeri.
Iran's New Purge Slapping the "Moderates"Sunday, January 27, 2008 Opponents of taking a tough line on Iran have always claimed that imposing sanctions (not to mention threatening military action) would strengthen the Islamic Republic's most radical elements. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looks to have bought that argument. Last week, she agreed to water down the new sanctions that her advisers had devised against the Islamic Republic. By Amir Taheri.
Massive Rejection of Reformists Candidates For Coming ElectionsThursday, January 24, 2008 With the date of next Legislative elections approaching in Iran, spokesmen for the reformist group say more than 70 per cent of their candidates have already been rejected by various electoral screening committees. By Safa Haeri.
Ahmadinejad Slapped By The LeaderTuesday, January 22, 2008 Iranian fanatic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suffered his worst humiliation at the hands of the Speaker of the Majles (Parliament), after Ayatollah Ali Khamenehei ordered him to respect and apply laws approved by the Legislative body. By Safa Haeri.
What Bush Said Is Not Different From What Iranian Leaders Say.Thursday, January 17, 2008 At the start of his recent tour of Middle East and the Persian Gulf countries, President George W. Bush said he would “back all reformists and democratic forces from Syria to Lebanon, from Iraq to Iran”. By Ahmad Zeydabadi.
Amnesty International Calls Iran to Stop Practice of StoningWednesday, January 16, 2008 As nine women and two men in Iran wait to be stoned to death, Amnesty International today (15 January 2008) called on the Iranian authorities to abolish execution by stoning and impose an immediate moratorium on this horrific practice, specifically designed to increase the suffering of the victims.
Saddam Was A Captured DictatorSunday, January 13, 2008 The execution of Saddam Hussein was an act of revenge. Saddam’s death was a triumph for Bush, Blair, and their Shiite-led regime installed in Iraq. It was a wish of Iraqi Islamists, like Dawa party and Moqtada Sadr, who was determined to kill Saddam in any circumstance. It was a trophy for Mollahs in Tehran, who vowed to eliminate Saddam. By Jahanshah Rashdian.
The Duel in Islam, Turkey's New Model vs. Iran'sThursday, January 10, 2008 For centuries, Iran and the Ottoman Empire, of which modern Turkey and Egypt were parts, fought for influence in the Muslim world. That changed when Turkish westernizers under Kemal Ataturk and their Iranian counterparts under Reza Shah Pahlavi decided that religion was the cause of their nations' decline. By Amir Taheri.
As the Regime Cracks Down, Life Goes on Behind Closed CurtainsTuesday, January 8, 2008
Last week our Iran correspondent was expelled without explanation. In his last dispatch from Tehran, he talks about the country he grew to love and which he found to be at odds with its image as an austere Islamic nation By Robet Tait.
Hardliner Media Attack Nobel LaureateSunday, January 6, 2008 Newspapers affiliated with the hardliner camp in Iran have begun a new round of accusations this time targeting Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 and head of the Defenders of Human Rights organization in Iran. By Shahram Rafizadeh.
The power of Shiite Muslim clergy has eroded in IranFriday, January 4, 2008 Iran's supreme leader spoke not with the thunder of a man regarded in his country as God's representative on Earth, but with the exasperated tone of a corporate manager chastising his employees. By Borzou Daragahi.
Khamenehei Ordered Nuclear Activities ResumedFriday, January 4, 2008 Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenehei revealed Thursday 3 January 2008 that it was he who ordered the resumption of nuclear activities, including enriching uranium and confirmed that those activities would continue “unabated”. By Safa Haeri.
The Ayatollah Khomeini LegacyTuesday, January 1, 2008 Over the last few months the Iranian political system has raged over the publication of a series of memoirs by (Ayatollah) Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran's former president, who currently serves as chairman of the regime's Assembly of Experts and of the Expediency Council. By Raz Zimmt.
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