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Iran Insights

Iran talks down war fears but US deployments stir anxiety

Iran talks down war fears but US deployments stir anxiety

Iranian officials are downplaying talk of another war with Israel and the United States but US carrier and tanker movements have sparked anxiety as weary citizens weigh readiness for a possible re-run of a punishing summer war.

Denial dominates Iran’s parliament, but sanctions toll hard to ignore

Denial dominates Iran’s parliament, but sanctions toll hard to ignore

While Iran’s hardline-led parliament resounds with defiant statements dismissing the impact of new UN sanctions, a few lawmakers are beginning to admit the likely economic toll.

Decades of defiance: why Khamenei still believes time is on his side

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blocked any potential signal of compromise before President Masoud Pezeshkian even landed in New York—a move some saw as a reckless gamble but in fact a calculated strategy rooted in decades of survival.

Sanctions response betrays Tehran's entrenched divides, policy drift

One thing unchanged by the return of UN sanctions is Tehran’s internal discord, with hardliners and moderates battling it out over decisions ultimately taken elsewhere.

Concessions or distractions? Iran's pop culture challenges theocratic rule

Concessions or distractions? Iran's pop culture challenges theocratic rule

Pop concerts and late summer parties are spreading across Iran as music, as dance and fashion become battlegrounds testing the limits of state control.

Pezeshkian under fire as UN sanctions return sparks rival camps’ backlash

Pezeshkian under fire as UN sanctions return sparks rival camps’ backlash

The reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, atop the US sanctions President Masoud Pezeshkian had pledged to lift during his election campaign, has disillusioned many of his moderate supporters and prompted hardliners to call for his resignation.

UN sanctions on Iran officially reinstated: here’s what they target

UN sanctions on Iran officially reinstated: here’s what they target

All UN sanctions suspended under the 2015 deal with Iran snapped back into force at 8 pm Eastern Time on September 27, one month after European powers triggered the so-called "snapback" mechanism. What are they, and what impact will they have?

Iran’s intelligence mocked by allies and foes over 'secret' Israel files

Iran’s intelligence mocked by allies and foes over 'secret' Israel files

A documentary released by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry claiming infiltration into Israel has drawn ridicule from both opposition groups and hardline loyalists of the Islamic Republic who criticized it for relying on public images and exaggerating its claims.

Economists sound crisis alarm as Iran braces for sanctions amid downturn

Economists sound crisis alarm as Iran braces for sanctions amid downturn

Iran is sliding into stagflation that could spark unrest, economists warn, as official data reveal the first economic contraction in four years on the eve of the UN sanctions returning.

‘Why bother going?’ Tehran’s moderates knock Pezeshkian's UN trip

‘Why bother going?’ Tehran’s moderates knock Pezeshkian's UN trip

President Masoud Pezeshkian’s speech at the United Nations drew an unusual split in Tehran: while conservatives and hardliners rallied behind him, many of his moderate supporters voiced sharp disappointment.

History repeating itself? Khamenei risks another 'poison chalice' moment

History repeating itself? Khamenei risks another 'poison chalice' moment

In Tehran today, debate over Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s hardline stance on nuclear negotiations carries an unmistakable echo of the end of Iran’s eight-year war with Iraq in 1988.

Coupons and concerts: Tehran scrambles for quick fixes as sanctions loom

Coupons and concerts: Tehran scrambles for quick fixes as sanctions loom

Officials in Tehran are scrambling to blunt the impact of impending UN sanctions later this month and avert another popular flare-up that even insiders warn is near.

Tehran’s divide on Pezeshkian’s trip to the UN in ten quotes

Tehran’s divide on Pezeshkian’s trip to the UN in ten quotes

Debate has erupted in Iran over President Masoud Pezeshkian’s upcoming trip to the UN General Assembly in New York, with politicians, clerics and commentators split on whether he should meet Donald Trump or avoid the risk.

'Romantic illusion': Could Pezeshkian and Trump meet at the UN?

'Romantic illusion': Could Pezeshkian and Trump meet at the UN?

Moderates are pushing for President Masoud Pezeshkian to meet Donald Trump at the United Nations in hopes of easing mounting pressure on Iran, but entrenched hardline opposition makes such a breakthrough highly unlikely.

'All engines of Iran’s growth have stopped' - Iranian business newspaper

'All engines of Iran’s growth have stopped' - Iranian business newspaper

Iran’s goal of achieving 8% economic growth, a key target of its seventh five-year development plan, faces steep hurdles, with economists warning that key drivers such as investment, productivity, and financing are faltering, the daily Samt reported on Monday.

Temporary marriage in Iran: religiously sanctioned, socially taboo

Temporary marriage in Iran: religiously sanctioned, socially taboo

Iran's Shi'ite establishment promotes temporary marriage as a way to prevent illicit relationships. Yet even devout families often disapprove, associating the practice with prostitution and social shame.

Iran torn between escalation and diplomacy after UN sanctions vote

Iran torn between escalation and diplomacy after UN sanctions vote

The UN Security Council’s decision not to lift sanctions on Iran has heightened the stakes for Tehran, with hardliners pushing for nuclear escalation, reformists urging engagement, and a public already strained by inflation.

UN sanctions vote aggravates factional feuds in Tehran

UN sanctions vote aggravates factional feuds in Tehran

A decisive UN Security Council vote setting Iran on course for the automatic return of pre-2015 sanctions has heightened tensions inside Tehran, as rival factions clash over strategy while officials strive to project a unified message abroad.

Moderates and hardliners enlist Khamenei in fight over diplomacy

Moderates and hardliners enlist Khamenei in fight over diplomacy

Moderates in Tehran—often accused by rivals of weakening the system—are now accusing the hardliners of undermining the supreme leader's authority through escalating factional battles.

Araghchi caught between Tehran hardliners and European deadline

Araghchi caught between Tehran hardliners and European deadline

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi could be on shaky ground, with reformists pressing for his replacement by former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, according to a prominent conservative commentator in Tehran.

Three years after Mahsa Amini’s death, Iranian frustration festers

Three years after Mahsa Amini’s death, Iranian frustration festers

Three years after the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody and subsequent protests which were quashed with deadly force, the mood among Iranians has only darkened, with many pointing to hardships that increasingly shape daily life.

Erasing memory: Tehran squeezes Woman, Life, Freedom families

Erasing memory: Tehran squeezes Woman, Life, Freedom families

Iranian authorities have led a systematic campaign to silence the families of those killed and executed amid the Woman, Life, Freedom protest movement—denying public mourning, arresting relatives and subjecting mourners to threats and intimidation.