Iran's troubled bond market

Even if sanctions are lifted, Iran's debt market faces several obstacles to realizing its full potential.

Iran

Kharazi sparks controversy within Reformist camp

Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Kharazi, who has founded a new political Reformist group, has stirred controversy with comments that he someday might expose names of Reformists who in the past had contacts with Americans.

Iran

Kuwait's Sunnis question fellow Shiites' loyalties

Kuwait is experiencing heightened Sunni-Shiite tensions, but the country's position in the region may make it difficult to address them should the situation worsen.

Legacy: Gulf

Rafsanjani's son enters prison amid media circus

Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's son, entered Evin prison to serve a 10-year sentence for corruption.

Iran

How Iran deal could bring multilateralism to Middle East

As the Joint Cooperative Plan of Action comes into effect, the region could see the emergence of a new era of greater cooperation by all regional actors, including Iran.

Syria

Inside the secret US-Iran diplomacy that sealed nuke deal

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorized direct talks with the United States on the nuclear issue as early as 2011, but real progress was not made until Hassan Rouhani, unaware of the talks, came into office in August 2013, US and Iranian officials say.

Iran

Is Iran’s military funding the media?

Hesam al-Din Ashna, cultural adviser to the Iranian president, said that some media in Iran receive money from the country's defense budget and are established enough to attack other media.

Iran

Iranian negotiators remain confident about nuclear deal

At a conference in Tehran on the nuclear agreement with the P5+1, Iran's senior negotiators expressed their satisfaction with the deal and confidence in its implementation.

Regional

Bibi, king of the Jews

In opposing the Iranian nuclear deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees himself as the savior of the Jews, a perception that leads him to view the American Jewish community as within his jurisdiction, rather than as US citizens with an understandable loyalty to their country and president.

Israel

US wins support from GCC, Asian allies for Iran nuclear deal

Israel is outlier on nuclear deal; Rafsanjani tells Al-Monitor that Iran “does not inherently have any issues with Saudi Arabia”; Zarif proposes civil nuclear cooperation with Arab states; Syrian, Iranian and Russian officials meet in Tehran; Al-Monitor’s second annual Middle East lobbying investigation and cultural heritage series.

Israel

Nuke deal won't change Iran's approach to region

In the aftermath of the JCPOA, Iran and other regional powers are seeking to engage, but will likely pursue policies to strengthen positions ahead of anticipated talks.

Saudi Arabia

Iran’s sagging housing market may face price shock

With a nuclear deal in hand and the business environment improving, Iranian investors may begin piling cash into the country's ailing housing market — causing a price shock.

Iran