Note: #IranInFocus was a monthly brief written by former IFI Associate Fellow Ali Fathollah-Nejad, commenting on international, political, economic, and social current issues in Iran. The series, which has come to an end, ran from January 2022 – October 2023.
ISSUE #7: October 2023
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The special October 2023 issue of the Iran in Focus brief examines the role of Iran in the War on Gaza, an ongoing conflict that poses the risk of evolving into a full-scale regional confrontation.
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ISSUE #6: August-September 2023
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The August/September issue of the Iran in Focus brief examines Iran’s tactical maneuvers amid the reportedly planned U.S.-Iran deal, assesses the evolution of the Iranian–Saudi détente on the occasion of the Iranian Foreign Minister’s historic mid-August meeting with MBS in Jeddah and addresses the dim prospects of effective U.S. deterrence against Iran.
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ISSUE #5: July 2023
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The Spring/Summer 2023 issue of the Iran in Focus brief examines the possibility of a mini nuclear deal between Iran and the US, the March Iranian–Saudi détente deal, the change at the top of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), as well as prospects for economic cooperation between Iran and Russia.
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ISSUE #4: March 2023
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The Winter 2022/2023 issue of the Iran in Focus brief examines the historical protests in Iran calling for regime change, which the leadership regards as a serious threat. It also examines the state of the JCPOA, Iran–Russia relations in the shadow of the war on Ukraine, and Tehran becoming a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member at last.
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ISSUE #3: April / June 2022
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In its third issue, Iran in Focus brief looks at regional developments this spring, covering the months of April, May, and June. It mainly assesses mounting tensions between Iran and Israel amid a stalemate in the Vienna negotiations over the revival of the JCPOA, or the Iran nuclear deal. Also, Iranian–Saudi talks in Baghdad are examined, as well in this edition Iran in Syria after Russia’s troop reduction there is discussed.
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ISSUE #2: February / March 2022
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In its second issue, Iran in Focus discusses the unveiling of a new solid-fuel missile in Iran, a hotly-debated leak about top-level IRGC corruption, an IRGC daily's discussion of its core demand of social justice, the Iranian President’s visit to Qatar, resurfaced speculations about the contents of the 25-year Iranian-Chinese deal, rising prices of Iranian oil exports, and the bumpy final phase of the Vienna talks over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal. Further readings on the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the JCPOA talks, as well as Iranian reactions and concerns (both at the state and society levels) are also covered in this edition.
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ISSUE #1: January 2022
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The first edition covers the latest developments that Iran witnessed in January. It zooms into some aspects of the Islamic Republic’s “look to the East” geopolitical strategy. The brief covers Iranian President Raisi's meeting with Russia’s President Putin at the Kremlin and the implementation of a 25-year “strategic partnership” agreement with China announced by Iranian Foreign Minister Amir-Abollahian. Moreover, the brief examines the state of the Vienna negotiations over the revival of the Iran nuclear agreement.
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