The 12th presidential election in Iran will be held on May 19th. These polls are taking place at a time when the regime in Tehran, and especially Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, are facing three distinct crises. a) Khamenei, suffering from prostate cancer, sees his days as numbered and must designate … [Read more...] about Iran’s Elections: A Breaking Crisis?
Hardliners
Iranian Regime’s Concerns Persist Ahead of May Elections
Ali Khamenei and Iran’s hardliners may want to sideline Hassan Rouhani, but getting there is risky. Following remarks made by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 21, marking Nowruz, the first day of the Persian calendar year, members of his faction used their weekly Friday prayer … [Read more...] about Iranian Regime’s Concerns Persist Ahead of May Elections
Will Rafsanjani’s death trigger Iran regime upheaval?
By Heshmat Alavi The Iranian regime was dealt a significant blow as former president and senior cleric Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died of a heart attack on Sunday, January 8, at the age of 82. Known for his influential role in shaping the regime’s politics following the 1979 revolution, … [Read more...] about Will Rafsanjani’s death trigger Iran regime upheaval?
Iran: Why the Mullahs Will Not Reform from Within
By Heshmat Alavi December 22, 2016 at 4:45 am Iran's entire power structure and most of its civil society is centralized under the personal control of the Supreme Leader. In this way, Iran's dictatorship is every bit as entrenched as North Korea's, making the idea of traditional regime change … [Read more...] about Iran: Why the Mullahs Will Not Reform from Within
Change in Iran? Do not Hold Your Breath
Originally published in Sooper Articles Regime in Iran Far From Opening Up There are views heard about "change in the making" in Iran, with reference to the defeats suffered by "hardliners" at the hands of "reformists" in the recent February elections. Such reasoning considers the … [Read more...] about Change in Iran? Do not Hold Your Breath