Bill Samii

Analysis: Iran's Reformers Lack Viable Candidate

Iranian governmental bodies are locked in a dispute over when to hold the country's next presidential election -- in May or in early June -- but three conservative figures have already declared their intention to be candidates.

Analysis: Conservative Presidential Candidates Speak Up In Iran

President Mohammad Khatami (file photo) Two conservative figures have announced their intention to be presidential candidates, although a date for the election has not been announced yet. Continuing controversy over who should or should not be a candidate makes it clear that Iran's right wing is not as monolithic as the conservatives' domination of the February 2004 parliamentary election would lead one to believe.

Analysis: Has Iran Traded A 'Pearl' For A 'Bonbon'?

Iran will voluntarily "continue and extend its suspension to include all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities," according to its 14 November agreement with the European Union's "Big Three" -- France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Analysis: Iran Sends Terror-Group Supporters To Arafat's Funeral Procession

Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's death will not only affect the Palestinian nationalist movement internally, but it will also have an impact on the authority's relationship with other countries, particularly Iran.

Analysis: For Iran, 'The Yellow Dog Is The Brother Of The Jackal'

Before and after the U.S. presidential election Tehran indicated a surprising preference for the incumbent, President George W. Bush. In contrast, the Iranian media tended to say there is little difference between Bush and the challenger, Senator John Kerry, and their respective parties.

Tehran Radio Says Bush Victory Good For 'Zionists'

Washington, 3 November 2004 (RFE/RL) -- Iranian state radio commented today that President George W. Bush's reelection may be good news for his supporters, "particularly the Zionists," but it will not serve U.S. interests.

Analysis: Disunited Reformist Front In Iran Seeks Presidential Candidate

"The reformist current is now a dead current, and I think it is going to be highly unlikely for it to be able to find a unanimously agreed candidate in the forthcoming presidential election," Tehran parliamentary representative Emad Afruq said according to "Kayhan" on 16 October. As a member of the conservative Islamic Iran Developers Council (Etelaf-i Abadgaran-i Iran-i Islami), one might expect such negative statements from Afruq.

Analysis: Tehran Talks Out Of Both Sides Of Mouth On Afghan Election

The Iranian government is continuing to take a two-pronged approach to events in neighboring countries. The relatively moderate Foreign Ministry has congratulated Afghanistan on its first election, which took place on 9 October. Official government radio, however, is sending a different message to the Afghan people, with Dari broadcasts from northwestern Iran denouncing Hamid Karzai as a U.S. stooge and playing up alleged election violations.

Analysis: Iranian Mujahedin Face Uncertain Future

Demonstrations against perceived U.S. injustices are nothing new in Iran. The demonstration that took place on 9 September in front of the U.S. interests section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, however, was different. This time, relatives of Iranian oppositionists who are based in Iraq were demanding help from the United States and the International Committee of the Red Cross in getting information about their family members, Reuters reported. The oppositionists -- members of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO or MEK) -- are located at Camp Ashraf, which is some 100 kilometers north of Baghdad.

Analysis: The Problem With Iran's Diploma Mills

President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami marked the 22 September beginning of the Iranian academic year with a speech in which he said his administration has done everything within its power to improve the state of the education sector, state radio reported. Yet recent reports about the activities of a foreign university's Iranian branch reflect several problems that have not been resolved. First, this reflects the hope that a university education will make it easier to get a job in a country with double-digit unemployment. Second, this reflects the tremendous demand for a limited number of university places -- young Iranians surveyed recently described their greatest problem after employment as the university entrance exam, the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) reported on 1 May. Third, it reflects a corrupt system in which state officials use fake academic credentials to receive higher salaries.

Analysis: Iranian Parties Hint At Presidential Candidates

President Khatami Though Iran's next presidential election is still nine months away, there is a great deal of speculation about the likely candidates.

Analysis: Iran's Theological Community Contends With Changing World

The 1979 Islamic revolution struck Iran's religious community as the dawn of a new and promising era for the country and its faithful. A quarter of a century later things don't look so rosy for the clerics -- many Iranians view them with disdain, and Al-Najaf, the center of Shi'a learning in Iraq, seems set to eclipse the Iranian theocratic center of Qom.

Analysis: Iraqis Look At Their Eastern Neighbor

Interim Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, during a visit to Tehran, said on 31 August that Iran and Iraq agree that the two countries' political decision to have good relations should be "converted into a working plan," Al-Arabiyah television reported. He added, "Instability in Iraq will have adverse consequences for the entire region."

Afghanistan: Norwegians Playing Valuable Role Among U.S. Allies

Iran: Supreme Leader Prohibits Relaxation Of Press Laws

Iran: The Court Acquits Policemen In Controversial Case

Iran: Analysis -- Tehran Steps Up Verbal Attacks On RFE/RL

Iran: Major Source Of Asylum Seekers

Iran: Reformers Optimistic Ahead Of Ballot

Iran: Various Obstacles Prevent WTO Membership