Vian Dakheel Saeed still gets emotional watching the address she gave to the Iraqi parliament in August of 2014. On April 23, she saw her emotional plea broadcast for thousands at the Lincoln Center in New York during the annual Women in the World Summit. The magnified image showed the dark haired woman standing opposite … Read more
Conflict: this was the word that came to mind when I thought of the Jewish state. As a frequent consumer of both American and Pakistani media, I have read my fair share about tensions and negotiations with the Palestinians, but I am far from an expert. This past March, I was preparing to travel with … Read more
When news of the historic nuclear deal with Iran broke, it came as no surprise that reactions from politicians on the left and the right were varied. Democrats such as Hillary Clinton applauded the news with restraint, while Republicans have expressed mostly disapproval toward the proposed framework. Yet, surprisingly (or perhaps not), one of the … Read more
This past week, Iran and the United States, along with the United Nations Security Council and Germany, announced a preliminary agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear program. The plan calls for inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities and a reduction in the number of Iranian centrifuges, reactors, and stockpiles of uranium and plutonium. It should extend the time necessary … Read more
On April 2, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a potentially historic framework nuclear agreement with Iran. The deal was the product of intense negotiations between the United States, the Islamic Republic, and several other global powers. If the terms are confirmed, Iran will place a series of restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for … Read more
For the first time, it looks like a deal will finally happen (or not, depending on whom you ask) between the P5+1 and Iran. Either way, this preliminary announcement marks a historic turning point in negotiations with conservative Islamist countries like Iran. The United States has been tightening its financial straightjacket on Iran since the fall … Read more
“The doctrine is we will engage, but we preserve all our capabilities.” – President Barack Obama. President Obama has maintained that the recent nuclear deal with Iran is indeed a good deal for the United States, and for now, that seems to be the case. The so-called “Obama Doctrine” for U.S.-Iran negotiations will ensure that the … Read more
Despite receiving a warm welcome last week in Tehran, the announced framework for a nuclear deal between the United States and Iran has an uncertain fate. Although mainstream media coverage has extensively analyzed the implications for Middle Eastern security, less discussed is the pivotal role of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, described as the “single most powerful institution in Iran,” in the deal’s … Read more
From the chants of “Death to America” during the storming of the U.S. embassy in 1979 to the frequent tweets by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei, Iran has maintained a string of public anti-American rhetoric. However, despite this legacy, and the normally contentious nature of Iranian domestic politics, the recently released framework agreement has received significant … Read more
Will Iran’s ambitions to develop nuclear weapons persist in the next 10 to 15 years, or will they diminish into an afterthought due to regime change or Iranian moderation? The Obama administration, in its announcement of the framework agreement produced by the P5+1 and Iran on April 2, has based its policy on a belief in the … Read more