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A Correspondent In Tehran

A Correspondent In Tehran

Al Monitor

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Iran claims upper hand in nuclear talks even as Trump floats military option

Iran claims upper hand in nuclear talks even as Trump floats military option

The Iranian leader's comment came as the US president accused Tehran of dragging out the negotiation process and renewed threats of military action.

16.04.2025 30

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

First US-Iran talks in years seen as 'positive' as hard-liners cry treason

First US-Iran talks in years seen as 'positive' as hard-liners cry treason

While the Iranian foreign minister struck a positive note after the Oman meeting, he had to face a barrage of ferocious criticism from the country's...

13.04.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Economic pressure, B-2 bombers and isolation: How Iran accepted talks with Trump

Economic pressure, B-2 bombers and isolation: How Iran accepted talks with Trump

Under severe economic strains and growing military threats from the United States, Iran agreed to negotiate its nuclear program, but the talks'...

08.04.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Can Iran balance missile threats and diplomacy to avoid war with Trump?

Can Iran balance missile threats and diplomacy to avoid war with Trump?

Amid growing fears of possible US strikes, Tehran is advancing a dual-track strategy: showing off military preparedness while engaging in regional...

05.04.2025 20

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Is Iran's warning it could go nuclear after Trump's threat a bluff or more?

Is Iran's warning it could go nuclear after Trump's threat a bluff or more?

The warning, which was issued by a moderate politician known for his pragmatist negotiating skills, underscored how the dynamics between Tehran and...

02.04.2025 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

From defiance to dialogue: How close are Iran and Trump to breakthrough on nuclear program?

Tehran's response to Trump's letter has been conveyed via Oman, raising hopes among Iranian moderates that a deal could be around the corner, despite...

29.03.2025 7

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

How unrest in Iran's Urmia exposes deep-seated ethnic fault lines

The situation escalated as stick-wielding government loyalists chanted inflammatory slogans against Sunni Kurds, whose cultural celebrations coincided...

26.03.2025 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

As Iran faces looming Trump deadline, is Khamenei shifting strategy?

Washington's warning to Iran over its support for Yemen's Houthi rebels has brought the two archenemies closer to the brink of a direct military...

22.03.2025 6

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Syria's new constitution gives sweeping powers, ignores minority rights

Syria's new temporary constitution concentrates power in interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's hands and fails to include enough protections for...

15.03.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran nuclear crisis: China and Russia advocate talks, but are they seeking solutions?

Russia and China issued a joint statement with Iran calling for the removal of unilateral sanctions and advocating diplomacy to resolve Tehran's...

15.03.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran flaunts joint Russia-China naval exercise as defiance of Trump, new order: What to know

Iran appears to be using the drills as a powerful signal that amid shifting dynamics under the new US administration, it will not be alone in...

12.03.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

With Trump 'down to final strokes,' can Russia convince Iran to engage?

The US president said he had written a letter to Iran's supreme leader before talking about "final strokes" with Tehran, but questions have been...

08.03.2025 8

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran steps up crackdown on Sunni militancy: How far could it go?

The question of Sunni militancy, which stems from decades-long systematic marginalization of Iran's Sunni minority, has added to an array of...

02.03.2025 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Lavrov in Tehran: Russia seeks leverage in US-Iran standoff

The Iranian foreign minister addressed the issue after talks with his Russian counterpart, amid worries in Tehran that Moscow's recent closeness with...

26.02.2025 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Covert with calculated risk: How Iran is shifting its Israel strategy

Tehran appears to be keeping pressure on Israel mainly through its network of proxies, resorting to calculated restraint and deniability to avoid...

22.02.2025 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran's FM hosts Sudan counterpart, eyes larger influence: What we know

Iran signaled an increasing presence in Sudanese reconstruction projects, while reports have suggested Iranian drone shipments to the Sudanese...

19.02.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran is surging weapons production, but will it deter Israeli strikes?

Despite a series of setbacks last year, Iran has recently been bolstering its defenses, unveiling one missile or drone after another, as reports...

15.02.2025 5

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran pushes diplomatic blitz to thwart Trump's Gaza relocation plan

With its regional proxies decimated in Israeli attacks, Iran is seeking to restore its position within the new regional dynamics by encouraging...

12.02.2025 5

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

What's next as Khamenei rejects Trump's offer for US-Iran diplomacy?

The Iranian supreme leader's adamant refusal laid bare divisions within Iran's political structure and has shaken pro-engagement camps that pinned...

08.02.2025 5

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran summons Sweden's ambassador after Shiite cleric arrest

The Shiite Islamic center run by the Iranian cleric has been accused of posing threats to Sweden's national security and spying on Swedish citizens as...

05.02.2025 9

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran's Khamenei cautiously leaves door open for diplomacy with Trump

In his latest statements, Ali Khamenei did not rule out talks with the United States, marking a shift from his uncompromising anti-US approach in...

29.01.2025 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

As Trump returns, Iran's IRGC steps up Hormuz military drills: What to know

Iran's influential hard-liners have long argued that closure of the oil-strategic strait can serve as a bargaining chip in any confrontation with...

24.01.2025 5

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

How prepared is Iran to engage with the Trump administration?

Iran's upper echelons appear to be slowly bridging their gaps over potential dialogue with the new US administration, as the threat of the crippling...

22.01.2025 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran-Russia deal signed: Does it secure Tehran's geopolitical interests?

Iran has long sought an alliance to protect it in the face of potential conflict with adversaries, but the text of the agreement falls short of...

18.01.2025 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran, Russia set to sign partnership deal: What we know

While the deal has been drafted with the stated goal of reshaping the trajectory of bilateral ties, questions remain over its regional implications,...

15.01.2025 20

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

As Iran ramps up missile production, is it readying for war with Israel?

Amid its diminishing regional influence, Iran's Revolutionary Guards is setting up new missile centers to project power, aiming to deter Israeli...

11.01.2025 30

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran's Quds Force struggling for relevance 5 years after Soleimani's death

Already shaken and crisis-hit after Soleimani, the Quds Force has been commanded by a low-charisma successor and remains on a path of diminishing...

05.01.2025 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

India-Europe corridor, trade top Russian delegation talks in Iran: What we know

The visit occurs at a pivotal moment for the evolving partnership and the challenges it faces under international sanctions and scrutiny, coupled...

24.12.2024 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Two months on, Iran’s ‘inevitable’ retaliation against Israel stalls, fueling frustration

The Islamic Republic is facing questions about its regional strength, and ferocious criticism from its loyalists, as it rethinks a promised...

21.12.2024 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran’s Araghchi in Egypt as Tehran seeks to recover from regional blows

Iran is hoping the Cairo summit will serve as an opportunity for rapprochement with Egypt and a venue to pursue its diplomatic campaign against...

18.12.2024 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Despite Assad's departure, Iran sees opportunity in Syria power play

Iran's supreme leader does not appear ready to lose sight of Syria despite Assad's downfall, seeking to capitalize on the rifts within Syria's...

14.12.2024 5

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran pursues wait-and-see approach in Syria as it copes with Assad's downfall

With one of its key regional allies gone, the Iranian establishment is anxiously reviewing its policy in an uncertain Syrian landscape.

11.12.2024 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

How Iran is coping with downfall of ally Assad in Syria

With one of its key regional allies gone, the Iranian establishment is anxiously reviewing its policy in an uncertain Syrian landscape.

11.12.2024 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran promises to do everything for Assad, but how far can it go?

Caught off guard by the recent rebel offensive in Syria, Iran is campaigning to galvanize regional political support for President Bashar al-Assad...

07.12.2024 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Who are Iran Quds Force officers deployed to Syria amid rebel offensive?

The team is led by a former Quds Force Syria branch commander, who Iranian media said had played a leading role in the 2016 anti-militant...

04.12.2024 5

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Embattled in Gaza and Lebanon, can Iran defend Assad in Syria amid Aleppo offensive?

Iran is at a critical juncture amid the Sunni insurgent offensive in Syria, as it navigates the realities about its weakened ally Hezbollah and the...

30.11.2024 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran, Europe gamble on fresh talks in Geneva to resolve nuclear deal deadlock

The upcoming negotiations in Geneva follow a two-year hiatus in Iran's nuclear diplomacy, reviving cautious optimism regarding potential economic...

27.11.2024 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Is Iran's Khamenei signaling readiness for new deal as Trump threat looms large?

Iran's supreme leader appears to be exercising pragmatism and reintroducing his "heroic flexibility," as his top aide says the stalled nuclear deal...

23.11.2024 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran threatens 'proportionate' response as IAEA censure looms

Iranian officials have repeatedly denied pursuit of nuclear weapons. In recent months, however, the rhetoric from state media and hard-liners has...

21.11.2024 2

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

As Khamenei's aide visits Lebanon, is Iran signaling de-escalation?

Ali Larijani said he delivered a "message" from Iran's supreme leader to Lebanon's prime minister amid scenarios of a potential cease-fire between...

16.11.2024 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran, Russia link payment networks in bid to bypass sanctions

The financial partnership connects the national payment frameworks, aiming to boost trade and tourism between the two sanctioned nations — yet key...

12.11.2024 2

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

How Trump's comeback could shatter Iran president's Reformist foreign policy

Donald Trump's comeback and prospects of a renewed "maximum pressure" policy on Tehran are complicating the Iranian president's pro-engagement...

10.11.2024 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defence minister

Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissal of his defence minister, demanding the government do...

06.11.2024 3

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

As IRGC begins offensive, Iran links Sunni militant attacks to 'Israeli plot'

The Revolutionary Guards said it was successfully advancing on a Sunni insurgency in the country's restive southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan...

06.11.2024 10

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

What to make of Iran's 200% defense budget increase amid Israel tensions

The planned increase comes despite a widening deficit and record inflation rates, and after reports suggesting severe damage to Iran's air defense...

30.10.2024 1

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

How Iran is shifting proxy warfare in Europe by recruiting criminal networks

Iran's growing reliance on organized local gangs may illustrate its broader plan to adapt to the evolving geopolitical landscape amid the perceived...

26.10.2024 2

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran eyes naval drills with Saudi Arabia, Egypt amid simmering regional tensions

The planned drills come on the heels of a recent joint exercise that Iran hosted in the Indian Ocean, as Tehran seeks to counterbalance Israel and...

23.10.2024 1

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

How does Sinwar's death reshape Iran's proxy war on Israel?

Sinwar's killing is seen as a major blow to the group and to Iran as well given the operational role he played within Hamas and how he closely...

19.10.2024 20

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Iran suspends indirect talks with US amid regional escalation

Iran's foreign minister made the announcement while touring one country after another as the region braced for further tensions amid Israeli plans...

15.10.2024 2

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran

Nuclear option: Iran's hard-liners advocate for atomic weapons to deter Israel

Calls are growing in Iran for a review of nuclear policy and production of atomic weapons as a strategy to rein in Israel and disrupt possible...

12.10.2024 4

Al Monitor

A Correspondent In Tehran