Iran Liberalism

The coronavirus challenge—the pandemic itself and the resultant economic shock—puts a stress test on individuals, societies, countries, alliances, and the international system—and precedents are sobering. The infection curve may be starting to bend, but economic shock and political dysfunction may lead to a global Great Depression. Last time the world…

When I was a young student, I was astonished by the Iranian regime's insistence on going to war against Iraq. That war killed over a million Iranians, injured another 2 million, and cost the country over a trillion dollars. Former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, said in a…

Secrecy, denial, and incompetence have condemned thousands of Iranians to their deaths amidst the coronavirus outbreak. Even if Iranian leaders now adopt best-practices, it is likely too late to meaningfully control the virus’s continued spread in Tehran. Traffic jams show that the city—which has grown seven-fold since the 1979 Islamic…

Since 2016, the United States has prosecuted a campaign of “ Maximum Pressure ” against Iran.  Using mostly economic levers , the campaign seeks to compel Iran to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear weapons program and curb its support to regional terrorist groups that threaten U.S. sovereignty and regional…

Editor’s Note: The following post is an excerpt of a full report. To read the entire analysis, click here to download the report as a PDF. Recorded Future’s Insikt Group® is conducting ongoing research on the organizations involved in Iran’s cyber program. This report serves to provide greater insight into…

Iranian security forces killed thirty-five prisoners during a riot over coronavirus, Amnesty International reported. The novel coronavirus has spread through Iran amid an economic meltdown, leaving the poor and vulnerable segments of society more at risk. Reports have emerged of violence in prisons—particularly in ethnic minority regions—as well as coronavirus…

Key point: Not every “legitimate” target is the best or most intelligent one to strike When news first emerged of the U.S. drone strike, which killed Iranian General Qasim Soleimani, many were taken aback. As a U.S. military veteran and student of world affairs, drone strikes are nothing new to me,…

As Iran’s leadership debates how to respond to the health and economic crises ensuing from the coronavirus (COVID-19), the country has put forth a request for a $5 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Rapid Financial Investment fund. Since the United States is the largest shareholder, Washington has an effective veto over whether…

I agree with Eric Klinenberg’s recent submission to The New York Times that social distancing, advocated by health authorities worldwide, as a means of combating the spread of the coronavirus, can only be a part of firefighting. The rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19 has a lot to do with the…

The Iraqi government’s curfew to check the spread of coronavirus has not prevented factions from the pro-Iranian Iraqi Popular Mobilizational Forces (PMF) from firing rockets at the American Embassy in Baghdad, as happened on March 26, 2020. In fact, on March 10, Khata'ib Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets at…