Category Archives: Iran

VOA Interview regarding “The Saudi Roots of Today’s Shi’ite-Sunni War”

Here’s a very brief interview regarding my article “The Saudi Roots of Today’s Shi’ite-Sunni War” at Voice of America. Please excuse the accent.

Posted in Iran, Iraq, ISIS, Saudi Arabia, Syria | 1 Comment

The Saudi Roots of Today’s Shi’ite-Sunni War

My latest piece at The Huffington Post: The rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its fervent anti-Shi’ite worldview has once again sparked the debate about the “age-old” conflict between Shi’ites and Sunnis with countless “experts” … Continue reading

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Open letter from NYC Iranians to Mayor de Blasio: When you stand by AIPAC, you do not stand by us

Beaming with pride: “We stand with those Jewish New Yorkers who have recently said in their open letter to you, ‘AIPAC speaks for Israel’s hard-line government and its right-wing supporters, and for them alone; it does not speak for us.’ … Continue reading

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Who Has Nukes in the Middle East

If there’s one relatively long YouTube video you watch this month, let it be this one. It puts much into perspective.

Posted in Iran, Iran's Nuclear Program, Palestine | 1 Comment

New Voyager | President Rouhani (Video)

I have to admit, US news sources are producing some amazing articles related to the Middle East. I’ve been gathering them and will post them soon in full. But before that happens, I wanted to share this probably-state-sponsored music video … Continue reading

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The Failed Gamble of Khaled Meshaal

AbuKhalil’s recent post on al-Akhbar is concise and worth reading in full: It would be fair to say that Khaled Meshaal is one of the biggest casualties of the Arab uprisings. Early on, Meshaal appeared more arrogant and more self-confident … Continue reading

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Netanyahu talks of Iran instead of Palestine

Israeli prime minister and the US secretary of state recently met in Italy to talk about prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Instead, the Israeli prime minister focused the discussion on the “Iranian threat” of nuclear proliferation. I suppose … Continue reading

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Rohani’s UN Speech

View/listen to it in full here.

Posted in Iran | 1 Comment

Rohani: “Why Iran seeks constructive engagement”

Rohani and Khatami have both published letters in leading American publications in a major PR blitz. The millions in Iran must indeed be suffering from what Obama shamelessly bragged were “crippling sanctions” and Rohani and his administration seem to be … Continue reading

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The Syria Intervention Plan Is Being Pushed by Oil Interests, Not Concern About Chemical Weapons

Alternet.org: “Whatever the case, few recall that US agitation against Syria began long before recent atrocities, in the context of wider operations targeting Iranian influence across the Middle East. In May 2007, a presidential finding revealed that Bush had authorised … Continue reading

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Toxic legacy of US assault on Fallujah ‘worse than Hiroshima’

The US, which has used chemical weapons in warfare as recently as the Iraq War, now claims that it has the moral high ground to intervene in the Syrian War to stop Asad’s alleged use of chemical weapons. What’s next? … Continue reading

Posted in Iran, Iraq, Syria | 1 Comment

Iran the Winner of the Arab Spring?

On March 7th I participated in my 4th HuffPost Live discussion, this time joined by Flynt Everett. I argued that Iran’s regional clout had been weakened by the Arab Spring and that it was an opportune moment to reach an … Continue reading

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Reconstructing a Persian Past: Contemporary Uses and Misuses of the Cyrus Cylinder in Iranian Nationalist Discourse

Ajam Media Collective: Recently, the Cyrus Cylinder, an imperial decree that dates from the sixth century B.C., left its home in the British Museum to be displayed on a museum tour across the United States until the end of the … Continue reading

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Iran’s 2009 Protests Haunt Upcoming Elections

Here is my most recent article at the Huffington Post: On May 21, 2013, Iran’s Guardian Council, the powerful 12-member body charged with vetting hopefuls for the Iranian presidency, determined that Iran’s former president, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, 78, was unfit … Continue reading

Posted in 22 Khordad, Iran | 3 Comments

The Failed Neocon Attempt to Destroy an Iranian American Anti-war Organization

From a former AIPAC insider, M.J. Rosenberg: The war over war with Iran has many battlefronts. Inside Washington, the battle line is between a small coalition of peace and security, non-proliferation and religious groups opposing war and favoring a peaceful … Continue reading

Posted in Iran, US-Iran Relations | 1 Comment