Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Iran's test-firing of a new, more advanced missile type with the capability to reach Israel, Europe or the Persian Gulf has increased tension over the Iranian nuclear program. The missile test will have a profound affect on the upcoming multilateral nuclear talks.
Iran has test-fired advanced missiles, just days before international negotiations over its nuclear program take place on October 1. The key issue at hand, however, is the recent disclosure of its clandestine centrifuge facility near Qom.
Iran's continued resistance to cooperate with the international community on its nuclear program demonstrates the regime's intransigence, particularly in light of the Obama administration efforts to engage.
The main problem currently facing the Iranian opposition is that the bulk of their brain trust is either in prison, under house arrest or have no methods of communicating, which has stifled political expression.
Human rights groups are trying to track how many Iranians are in custody following last month's disputed presidential election in Iran.
Iranians returned to the streets of Tehran Thursday to protest a disputed presidential vote. Analysts assess the latest developments.
The street calm in Iran is misleading, although the scale of demonstrations has subsided, the depth of people’s sense of outrage and injustice has not.
While Europe and the United States have been vocal in their response to the turmoil in Iran, its neighbors in the Arab world have been noticeably silent.
In the aftermath of Iran's disputed election the opposition has grown bolder, seeking to fundamentally change the system of government by abolishing or seriously weakening unelected leadership positions, including that of the Supreme Leader, whose authority has never been challenged before.
Whereas the Bush administration united Iran's disparate political factions against a commmon threat, Obama's overtures have accentuated deep internal rifts amongst Iranian political elites.