Facts, News, Trends, Analysis
December 5th, as President Bush prepares to leave office he will undoubtedly be forced to reflect on his handling of many issues and countries during his presidency. In his speech today, he accused both Syria and Iran of supporting terrorism and voiced his displeasure with how long it has taken for democratic principles to be [...]
President Ahmadinejad has publicly conceded that the continued drop in oil prices is hurting the economy. This admission comes at a difficult time–close to next year’s election, and when his approval ratings have already declined. Oil prices have plummeted and the effect this has had on Iran, whose main export is oil, is a serious [...]
Hezbollah’s statements that they plan to take over the Lebanese government in the upcoming election, includes talk about how they will govern the country under a national unity government and work closely with Sunni-led coalitions as well. They think they will be able to grab the majority in the Legislature in the 2009 elections and [...]
The Iranian government rarely discloses information that it perceives would draw international criticism, but it announced yesterday that the country has a total of 18,320 people who have tested positive for HIV. That figure represents all those who have been tested; however, the UN AIDS Agency estimates that number to be far higher, including [...]
The Iranian Navy has begun military exercises in the Oman Sea in an effort to ensure readiness against its purported enemies and also as a posturing action to the international community. The Iranian media has stated that “more than 60 destroyers, light and heavy submarines, helicopters, aircraft, and reconnaissance drones were tested in the maneuver.” [...]
The chafiyeh, the white-and-black scarf worn by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and loyal adherents of the Iranian revolution for nearly 30 years, has taken on a new meaning in Iran these days. It is the newest fashion craze in Iran’s underground rap scene. Young Iranians who have taken up an interest in western pop–satanic music to [...]
Sunday, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, stated that Iran is going to offer to build joint light-water nuclear power plants with its Arab neighbors. These states have been historically suspicious of Persian military might–suspicions that have been aroused anew with the development of Tehran’s nuclear program. [...]
The New York Times reported last Tuesday, that after six months of inquiry, Iran has uncovered a spy ring working for the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. Iranian Prosecutor-General Mortazavi announced that three spies are currently in Iranian custody, and that they will be seeking the death penalty against all of them. Another three suspected of [...]
Iran’s Vice President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie told Tokyo Koyodu News Agency that President Ahmadinejad would welcome talks with President-elect Barack Obama, as long as the talks are held openly and their contents made fully available to the press. Ahmadinejad has stated that he believes face-to-face diplomacy to be the most successful means to achieving a [...]
The Arab peace initiative has hit a snag in its efforts to bring together Arab and Islamic countries in a joint peace initiative with Israel. The problem is Iran. After an advert was published in Arab newspapers displaying the Star of David flag of Israel along with the Iranian flag, Tehran disassociated itself from the [...]