Iran threatens to leave NPT and resume high-level enrichment as US and Europe mull "new deal"
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron signaled that they will work on a “new deal” to supplement the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement and address the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program and destabilizing role in the region. Tehran’s response was loud and clear: The Islamic Republic will defy Western pressure and will not renegotiate the nuclear deal or make any compromises over its defense programs and regional posture.
Over the last few months, Iran has experienced a series of street protests in rural areas and social arenas once seen as the key support base for the Islamic Republic. Politically active youth are voicing their frustrations with the country’s political, social, and economic prospects. Many of these protests as well as online activism have been met with pushback from conservatives and crackdown from the government.
The issue for Libya is not whether 75-year-old Gen. Khalifa Hifter returns to normal health following the medical crisis that led to his hospitalization in Paris. No matter what happens to Hifter, the country must find ways to build an inclusive government in which integrated security forces at the national level are under the command of civilian, elected leaders.
Sectarianism without Borders: Copts and Genocide Recognition
In this essay, the author contends that the violence against Copts has been misleadingly characterized as alien to Egyptian culture, and discusses how some diaspora Copts and Church leaders have sought to portray the attacks that have taken place since the Arab Spring.
Iran defies Western demands over nuclear, missile and regional issues
Iranian leaders on Tuesday said they will defy Western pressure and will not renegotiate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear accord Tehran signed with world powers nearly three years ago. Several top Iranian officials also threatened to take drastic measures, including leaving the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), if the Trump administration terminates the nuclear accord and re-imposes sanctions on Tehran. “We increased the cost for the enemy over the past five years. And if the JCPOA collapses, we have a plan.
Top Iranian official says retaliation against Israel is “inevitable”
The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said today that the Islamic Republic is determined to punish Israel for the latest strikes on a Syrian air base in which several Iranian military personnel were killed.
In this week’s Monday Briefing, MEI experts Gonul Tol, Paul Salem, Nathan Stock, Alex Vatanka, Gerald Feierstein, and Marvin G. Weinbaum provide analysis on recent and upcoming events including upcoming snap elections in Turkey, Lebanon’s Free Patriotic Movement party, protests in Gaza, the future of the Iran nuclear deal, Yemeni peace talks, and the ISKP attack on Shiite Hazaras.
IRGC general: Any future war will result in Israel’s annihilation
The deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards today threatened to annihilate Israel in an apparent reaction to the latest Israeli military strikes against Syrian and Iranian military targets in Syria. “Listen!
Rouhani urges military to bolster defense power as Iran unveils new missiles
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani voiced support for the country’s military forces to develop advance weapons, including missiles, to enhance the Islamic Republic’s deterrence capabilities. “I am support the Artesh [Iran’s regular army] and Sepah [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] to make any weapons needed for defense,” the Iranian media quoted the president as saying at a ceremony marking the anniversary of the Iranian Army. He emphasized that the Iranian Army and the IRGC do not need the permission of any foreign power to bolster the country’s defense capabilities.
After Khamenei, Rouhani leaves Telegram amid looming shutdown of foreign apps
The office of Hassan Rouhani today announced that the Iranian president has suspended his official account in Telegram, Iranian media reported. Rouhani’s decision came after Supreme Leader Ali Khameni’s office said yesterday that the Iranian leader would no longer use Telegram to “safeguard” Iran’s national security and “remove the monopoly of Telegram messenger”.
Amb. Robert Ford and Charles Lister join host Paul Salem to discuss last week’s U.S. airstrikes in Syria in response to the Assad government’s ongoing use of chemical weapons, what the Trump administration is signaling about America’s plans there, and the escalating standoff between Israeli and Iranian forces in the country.
Iran steps up Internet censorship as Khamenei declares war on Telegram
In the latest sign that the Iranian regime is set to further increase Internet restrictions, the office of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today that the Supreme Leader is leaving Telegram, the most popular messaging service in Iran used by more than a half of the country’s 80 million population. All government agencies have reportedly been prohibited from using Telegram, and today’s announcement indicated that the government plans to shut down the messaging app in the near future.
Iraqi elections: crafting a democracy amid challenges
Fifteen years after the fall of the dictatorial regime of Saddam Hussein, Iraq is still engaged in the process of transitioning to a system of governance representative of its population. The new Iraq has experienced meaningful progress and serious setbacks. While the upcoming elections, slated for May, promise a further constructive push, Iraq faces serious structural impediments to progress—including a divisive political environment and significant social challenges in the wake of ISIS—and should expect incremental rather than revolutionary change.
