Shark Attack
How Iran’s political crisis might only strengthen the Islamic Republic -- and why Rafsanjani could be the election’s real winner.
View ArticleFalse Prophets
Building bridges between Muslims, Christians, and Jews seems like a worthy goal. But, by glossing over serious differences, the organizations at the forefront of interfaith dialogue confuse discussion...
View ArticleThe Rise of the Iranian Dictatorship
Tehran is increasingly relying on its military to control its citizens. Looking at the new leaders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, that trend seems certain to hasten.
View ArticleIran’s Conservative Crackup
A series of political defections and a new poll proves that Ahmadinejad is losing support among the conservatives who once made up his base.
View ArticleIran’s Bubble Boys
These are the men who make up Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's inner circle -- and will determine if the Iranian president can strengthen his tenuous grip on power.
View ArticleRafsanjani Makes His Move
Iran's most independent politician finally casts his lot with the hard-liners. Is this the end for the green movement, or just the beginning?
View ArticleRafsanjani Makes His Move
Iran’s most watched man has finally made his move. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president and the country’s most skilled political operator, had been sending mixed signals since the contentious...
View ArticleTehran’s Lost Connection
Is the Iranian regime's cyberwar with the United States real, or a paranoid delusion?
View ArticleTehran’s lost connection
During last year’s election turmoil in Tehran, the Iranian regime’s biggest foe often seemed to be 21st-century technology. While the regime cracked down on supporters of opposition candidate Mir...
View ArticleThe road to Tehran runs through Ankara
Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in recent days met with dignitaries at the United Nations to generate international support for Iran to engage in talks with the United States and other...
View ArticleCairo 2011 is not Tehran of 1979
From London to Washington, and as far as Tehran, the question is being asked: Will Egypt of 2011 become the Iran of 1979? Some leading figures in Tehran, as well as Iranian state-run media, are trying...
View ArticleRooting for Khamenei
A long-brewing power struggle recently burst into public view over Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s decision last month to dismiss Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi. The ensuing power...
View ArticleAhmadinejad’s impotence
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad meant to kick off his annual visit to the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York with the grand gesture of releasing two U.S. hikers held captive for...
View ArticleOn the sidelines of Iran’s election
Former President Mohammad Khatami made a statement last December about the upcoming parliamentary elections in Iran, "When all the signs indicate that we should not participate in the elections,...
View ArticleLebanon’s Salafi scare
Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, a self-proclaimed religious authority with a bushy long beard, is no stranger on the Lebanese scene. His latest incarnation, from his mosque in the coastal town of Sidon, is as a...
View ArticleMorsi’s just not that into Iran
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had high hopes for the visit to Tehran by new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. His trip on Thursday for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit might have been brief...
View ArticleIran’s nuclear resistance
Iran this week marked "Ten Years of Nuclear Resistance," a celebration at the University of Tehran to commemorate Iran’s nuclear program, despite international efforts to limit it. The central message...
View ArticleBahrain’s closed doors
After nearly two years of political unrest, this week Bahrain’s King Hamad called for renewed national dialogue. And while it appears some groups have agreed to talks, the major sticking point remains:...
View ArticleTalking about reform in Bahrain
A two-day conference at the University of Bahrain in the capital Manama last week was intended to show the United States and the region that the Bahraini government is making progress toward democratic...
View ArticleIran’s opportunity for negotiations
For the first time in many years, Iranian leaders are declaring that they are ready to make a deal with the United States on the nuclear issue, leading some skeptics to question whether Tehran is...
View ArticleLebanese Salafis amidst Syria’s war
One recent cool and sunny afternoon in Lebanon’s northern city of Tripoli, Sheikh Bilal Baroudi, a Sunni Salafist cleric, showed me the charred remains of the Salam mosque. He was preaching there on...
View ArticleIraq Prepares to Evict U.S. Troops
Pro-Iran factions are pushing for the move just as the Islamic State is starting to hit back.
View ArticleIran and the United States Battle It Out in Iraq
Iraq’s Shiite militias are doing Iran’s bidding against the United States. Baghdad won’t be able to dismantle them.
View ArticleTo Fast or Not to Fast—That Is the Coronavirus Question for Ramadan
With Ramadan services sharply curtailed due to the pandemic, many Muslims are wondering if the required fasting might also pose a health risk.
View ArticleWhat Normalization?
How Israel’s agreements this year with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates made the Middle East more volatile.
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