Category: Iran

Written by lookingbeyondborders

More than an Israeli or American air strike, or the economic effects of sanctions, the powers-that-be in Tehran face a deeper risk rising from within Iranian society.

In Teheran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the last word. But is the “No” of Iran’s spiritual leader really his last word when it comes to negotiating directly with the U.S. in the conflict over his country’s nuclear program? Maybe not. His position must be seen in the context of Iran’s domestic politics – President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, […]

Rate this:

Written by lookingbeyondborders

Lesson on diplomacy, from an Iranian

Track II meetings can be useful when participants express their views candidly, without worrying about offending the sensitivities of others. When the event is held in India, visiting think tankers take pain not to upset their hosts. Since most foreigners have rightly concluded that Indians are not only flattery prone but credulous as well, they […]

Rate this:

Written by lookingbeyondborders

The U.S. Needs A Completely Different Approach To Iran

As Washington and its great power partnersprepare for more nuclear negotiations with Iran, the Obama administration and policy elites across the political spectrum talk as if America is basically in control of the situation. Sanctions, we are told, are inflicting ever-rising hardship on Iran’s economy. Either Tehran will surrender to U.S. demands that it stop […]

Rate this:

Written by lookingbeyondborders

Will the US President Truly Resort To Force If All Else Fails To Thwart Tehran’s Nuclear Program? Perhaps More Important, Does Israel’s PM Think He Will?

We’ve been saying it for years: This coming year represents the moment of truth on Iran. Except that this year, it’s for real: 2013 represents the moment of truth on Iran. The year the Iranians pass the point of no return in their drive to the bomb. Or the year, one way or another, they […]

Rate this:

Written by lookingbeyondborders

Would It Matter If Iran Got The Bomb?

The debate on Iran and its nuclear program does little credit to the U.S. foreign policy community, because much of it rests on dubious assumptions that do not stand up to even casual scrutiny. Lots of ink, pixels, and air-time has been devoted to discussing whether Iran truly wants a bomb, how close it might […]

Rate this:

Written by lookingbeyondborders

Iran, EU Reps To Establish Contact Over Nuclear Talks

Representatives of Iran and the European Union are scheduled to hold a telephone conversation in the next few days about the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.  Ali Baqeri, the deputy secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), made the announcement during a speech at the University of Tehran on Monday. “Today, they, the office of […]

Rate this:

Written by lookingbeyondborders

U.S. Exports To Iran Rise Nearly One-Third Despite Sanctions (So, what’s Happening Here?)

U.S. exports to Iran rose by nearly a third this year, chiefly because of grain sales, according to U.S. data released last week, despite the tightening of U.S. financial sanctions. The jump to $199.5 million in the first eight months of 2012 from $150.8 million a year earlier, according to Census Bureau data, is surprising given Western […]

Rate this: