National Security Network

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran

Remaining Focused on Iran

Report 23 June 2011
This week Iran is giving off new signs of both the complexity of its internal affairs and the relative weakness of its international position: an inconclusive meeting with Director General Yukiya Amano of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); dwindling regional influence; economic woes and an ongoing power struggle between Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Diplomacy, coupled with smart punitive measures like sanctions, offers the best way forward. “Sanctions were never supposed to become an end [unto] themselves, but unfortunately they can easily become so, because they are something we know how to do,” said John Limbert, the former top State Department official dealing with Iran, “Changing relations with Iran is much harder [than imposing sanctions]—particularly if the other side is not going to be very cooperative.” But it’s the best approach. Israel’s outgoing intelligence chief has also joined the numerous national security experts in warning that a fourth military campaign in the Middle East would be “stupid,” not to mention “messy and protracted.”
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Iran

September is Decision Time for Iran

Report 28 August 2009
The inauguration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for a second presidential term earlier this monthhas not dissipated discontent with the regime or ended political turmoil. Political and religious leaders have organized behind the scenes and opposition leaders continue to make explosive allegations against the government.
This coming month, the fractious regime will be pushed back into the international spotlight. A clogged September calendar will see Iran dominate the agenda of international meetings in Frankfurt, Vienna, Pittsburgh, and New York. Despite Iran’s political uncertainty, engagement remains the best way of forcing a decision from the regime – either move in a new direction offered by the Obama administration or face consequences from a united international community. 
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Iran

U.S. Pursues Prudent Course, as Iran Remains in Flux

Report 29 July 2009
A month and a half since Iranians went to the polls, the political situation in Iran remains in flux. Despite a tremendous crackdown by the Iranian regime, the opposition has not gone away. Reports of prison abuse, leading to the deaths of jailed protestors, have led to renewed outrage at the regime. There are also signs of a split amongst regime hardliners. Many have criticized the regime's response to the protests, and some, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have rebuked President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his initial choice of vice-president.
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