C Raja Mohan writes: During Nowruz, Iran’s Persian culture collides with regime’s ideology
The Islamic Republic was founded in part on a rejection of nationalism and traditional culture. But in practice, the Iranian state has never escaped the gravitational pull of Persian identity
Talks have failed, but diplomacy is alive
US-Iran talks in Islamabad failed due to disagreements over Hormuz control, nuclear issues, and Israel’s actions in Lebanon, but diplomacy continues
The telling pause in the US-Israel war on Iran
Iran managed something more than mere survival. It walked away with its Strait of Hormuz card and regime intact, and its own 10-point framework as the agenda
Expert Explains | Iran agreed to unprecedented terms. So why did US attack?
Between the two, Iran is the one fighting for survival, which means it has far greater stakes in the conflict and consequently has more incentive to continue attacks until Washington […]
With survival at stake, Iran likely to continue fighting
Despite this, Iran has targeted US bases in every Gulf country as part of a sustained region-wide retaliation. Why couldn’t this expanding conflict be prevented?
Expert Explains | US-Iran talks: Why both sides are negotiating amid military buildup
Over the last two decades, US-Iran talks have been infamous for their sluggish pace, the counter-productive format, and severe dearth of good faith between negotiating parties. Mutual trust has only […]