Al Arabiya With a new wave of US sanctions just around the corner, the regime ruling Iran is in deep waters as domestic and international pressures escalate. To add insult to injury for the clerics in Tehran, public discontent is increasing and people from all of life across Iran are demanding … [Read more...] about ANALYSIS: US sanctions and the end of ‘reform’ in Iran
Reformists
ANALYSIS: How to define Iran’s Hassan Rouhani as a ‘moderate’
Hassan Rouhani reaching a second term in Iran as the regime’s president should not be interpreted as the vote of the people seeking a moderate voice over hardline conservatives. In fact, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei sought to repeat the 2009 scenario of engineering the entire election process … [Read more...] about ANALYSIS: How to define Iran’s Hassan Rouhani as a ‘moderate’
How Is Iran’s Hassan Rouhani A Moderate?
Following the May 19th presidential “election” in Iran and the incumbent Hassan Rouhani reaching a second term, there was an outpouring of Western mainstream media describing him as a moderate again. As described by the National Review, Iran’s sham election was nothing but “a ridiculous farce. In … [Read more...] about How Is Iran’s Hassan Rouhani A Moderate?
What Does the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Want Out of Iran’s Upcoming Elections?
Can the faction known as the “principalists” in Iran, loyal to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, engineer the upcoming presidential elections‘ outcome in a manner similar to 2005 and 2009? Back then, this group resorted to fraud and vote-rigging to have their desired candidate selected. Is the … [Read more...] about What Does the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Want Out of Iran’s Upcoming Elections?
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
Time to end the Iran “reformist-moderate” hoax
By Heshmat Alavi Eight years of Barack Obama’s tenure has come to an end. We are also winding down on the first, and maybe last, term of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. This should mark the long overdue end of the U.S.-Iran appeasement doctrine, based on a mirage of “reformists” and/or … [Read more...] about Time to end the Iran “reformist-moderate” hoax
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