Hassan Rouhani
All topics-
Iran and Saudi Arabia:
The impending storm
The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not confessional in nature. Both lay claim to regional supremacy and also to the leading role in the Islamic world – maximalist positions that naturally provoke confrontation. An essay by Ali Fathollah-Nejad, political scientist with the German Council on Foreign Relations
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US–Iranian relations
The end of Iran's Islamic Revolution
The nuclear deal reached in July by Iran and its international interlocutors marks an obvious turning point in the Islamic Republic's relations with the outside world, particularly with the United States. But why has it taken so much longer for the US to come to terms with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's revolution in Iran than it did with Mao Zedong's revolution in China, asks Said Amir Arjomand
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State and religion in Iran
"Shias tend to support the underdogs"
The Shia faith has always been a defining aspect of Iranian nationhood. In the twentieth century, the pro-Western regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi silenced critics and was eventually toppled by a popular revolution with strong religious dimensions in 1979. Tehran's stance has since been basically anti-Western, but that may now be changing. Maysam Behravesh, a political analyst with Tehran Bureau, assessed the nature of the Shia regime in an interview with Hans Dembowski
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Social justice and political reforms in Iran
A ticking time bomb
While the nuclear agreement with Iran may have opened the gates for oil exports and the import of European goods, the door to greater human rights, a pluralistic political party system and social justice in Iran remains firmly closed. Nevertheless, these central demands, which are made by large swathes of Iranian society, could soon come to the fore again. An analysis by Faraj Sarkohi
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Interview with Shirin Ebadi
Time for a human rights deal in Iran
Following the recent nuclear agreement, Iranians are hoping not only for a boost to their country's economy, but also for improved rights. In this interview, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi explains why the time has come for the West to focus on the human rights situation in Iran. By Sharam Ahadi and Mitra Shodjaie
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After the nuclear agreement with Iran
Where to from here?
The nuclear deal with Iran is being celebrated both in the Middle East and in the West. It has, however, many critics too. Whether the hotly anticipated agreement will have a positive or a negative effect on the region, depends on political dynamics within Iran, says Volker Perthes, who outlines two possible scenarios
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After the nuclear agreement with Iran
Time to deliver
After the successful negotiation of an agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, the pressure on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is set to increase. Iranians expect an improvement not only in their economic and socio-political situation but also in the fight against corruption. By Adnan Tabatabai
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Nuclear agreement with Iran
A major historic breakthrough
The US and Iran have overcome their enmity. This opens the door to the settlement of a number of conflicts in the Middle East. A commentary by Andreas Zumach
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How the West views Iran's leaders
A sober and critical eye is needed
Has Iran really undergone fundamental change since President Hassan Rouhani took office? Observers shouldn't allow themselves to be deceived by the current trend towards rosy political analyses, warns Ali Fathollah-Nejad, a German–Iranian political scientist, who points out that developments in the Islamic Republic are characterised by continuity
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Exhibition of IS cartoons in Tehran
Iran battles its enemies with cartoons
Iran has embraced an unlikely medium in its psychological battle against Islamic State: the cartoon. However, despite this focus on its newest foe, Israel and the US are obviously still viewed as the Islamic Republic's arch-enemies
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The Yemen conflict
The threat of a regional conflagration
It is not clear what Saudi Arabia hopes to achieve with the war in Yemen. In any case, the ongoing airstrikes are not going to solve any problems. On the contrary: many new ones are emerging, such as the strengthening of the al-Qaida network or a dangerous confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Iranian foreign policy
Iran, Assad and the endless war
A nuclear agreement with Iran could also mean hope for the settlement of the Syrian conflict. An essay by Charlotte Wiedemann