Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
All topics-
Landmines in Yemen
Death beckons with every step
The war in Yemen is not over, but at least there is a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the population is suffering from landmines that have made large parts of the country impenetrable. Hundreds of people have already died. Safia Mahdi reports from Sanaa
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Iran and Russia
The Islamic Republic surrenders to Putin
Russia is leaving no stone unturned in its attempts to make the Islamic Republic an ally in the war against Ukraine. Fortunately for Vladimir Putin, the mullahs in Tehran are ready to subjugate themselves to shore up their own position at home. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Political crisis in Iraq
Fighting for Shia hearts and minds
The clashes in Baghdad between supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr and pro-Iranian militias show that an intra-Shia power struggle is in full swing. An analysis from Cairo by Karim El-Gawhary
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The Islamic Republic and Putin's war
Iran's sacred mission in Ukraine?
Since Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful man, has openly and unconditionally come out in support of Putin's war in Ukraine, logistical help is on its way, with an allegedly civilian airline playing a key role. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Iran's corruptocracy
Why the Abadan building collapse matters
Days of protests across Iran followed the collapse of a high-rise building in the city of Abadan in May 2022. But why has the disaster become such a political issue? Rahman Bouzari and Ali Fathollah-Nejad report
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Iran and the Ukraine war
Ali Khamenei prepares for the future
The Ukraine war is changing the global geopolitical landscape. Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful man, is already cosying up to Russia in anticipation of a harsh post-war reality. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Middle East oil states
Surging energy prices likely to de-rail reforms?
The Ukraine war has seen energy prices spike with oil producers in the Middle East making more money than ever. But will it put the brakes on long-planned reforms to diversify oil-reliant economies in the region? By Cathrin Schaer
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Protests in Iran
Spiralling food prices fuel unrest
Since the government cut subsidies for food, prices in Iran have skyrocketed. Protests that broke out in Khuzestan province are now spreading across the Islamic Republic. By Sepehr Lorestani
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Ukraine war
Iran – at Putin's beck and call?
While Russia's watershed invasion of Ukraine has up-ended long-established European foreign and security policy paradigms, it also poses significant security challenges for countries throughout Eurasia and beyond. As Ali Fathollah-Nejad writes, Iran is by no means immune to the geopolitical changes underway
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War in Ukraine
Iran's conflict of interests
On the one hand, the Islamic rulers of Iran are sitting around the same table with the West to solve the nuclear conflict. On the other, their political ally Russia is at war with a European country – in direct contravention of United Nations articles. By Nasrin Bassiri
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Iranian economy
The causes of Iran's economic woes
Talks to salvage the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal have entered their eighth round in Vienna. Even if a deal is struck and some of the sanctions are lifted, the state of the Iranian economy is such that there can be little hope that any relief provided by a revived agreement will trickle down to the general population. By Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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European Council on Foreign Relations
Promoting human rights in the Middle East and North Africa
With authoritarianism once more gaining ground in the Middle East and North Africa, the European Council on Foreign Relations explores how European diplomats can be more effective in promoting human rights and democratic values in the region