The foreign media and western states are confused and puzzled as to how to interpret the Iranian election on June 12th. Over the past few days I've been speaking with many journalists in Tehran who normally go there for one or two weeks on assignment. Many of them, initially, believed...

President Obama's decision to give a speech in Egypt on June 4th, one of the most authoritarian regimes and unpopular governments in the Middle East, was surprising, no doubt. Many thought he would choose Indonesia, the biggest moderate Muslim country. But what should the President say, and do, in Cairo...

President Obama's decision to address the Muslim World in a speech on June 4th in Cairo, Egypt -- one of the most authoritarian Muslims countries in the Middle East - begs the question: is Egypt the right place to address such issues or not?

On May 8, Press Secretary Robert...

"IREX never imagined that anyone could construe our program in Iran to be inconsistent with any interest of the Iranian government," said Paige Alexander Vice President of the U.S.-based non-profit regarding the arrest and imprisonment of the organization's employee, Silva Haratonian, last year in Iran.

Silva Harotonian, an Iranian...

For President Obama, who already has shown his desire to talk to Iranian leaders, there is no foreign policy lesson more helpful than that of Roxana Saberi's case of arrest and release. It shows how the Iranian government functions and could teach the United States how to speak to hard-liners...

In response to a piece in which I thoroughly criticized the Iranian Intelligence regarding the arrest of American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi, I was contacted by an Iranian diplomat who asked, me; if it's all about human rights, why isn't anybody talking about the three Iranian diplomats who have been

After the announcement of her eight-year prison sentence, American-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi's attorney, Abdolsamad Khorramshahi, told in a telephone interview from Tehran that Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Laureate will join the legal team of the case. Khorramshahi also said that he will appeal the sentence within the next 20...

The Iranian intelligence services are constantly announcing the capture and arrest of spies that gather classified information for the Western countries. Roxana Saberi, an American-Iranian journalist is the latest person to be facing such a charge.

Most people who have been accused of spying are detained without access to...

When President Obama steps down from Air Force One to join the G-20 summit, he might not have much to say about the chaotic situation of economy, but he will be able to show how his administration dramatically differs from his predecessor in foreign policy.

Unlike the challenges facing Obama's...

As expected among the foreign policy community, Dennis Ross was appointed Iran's "special advisor" and curiously not the "special envoy"-- which begs the question of whether or not he will be the major voice in Washington on US-Iran relations.

Appointing an envoy or advisor to Iran has posed a

President Barack Obama said in his inauguration speech that "America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more." But the question remains; what are the characteristics of this...

In his inaugural address on January 20, President Barack Obama said, "to the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward based on mutual interest and mutual respect." But, without further defining " mutual respect", how can the President's remark be anything but words or a vague and indefinite platitude?

Laura Bush will address the Council on Foreign Relations in New York on December 10th, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

At the time, some individuals in the Bush administration might face prosecution for a series of events that resulted in serious human rights violations,...

For all the people who have followed the primary presidential elections, and the nasty fight between the two rivals, choosing Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State is not only scary, but it also seems to be Obama's first move to give up the values and ideals he advocated during the...

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was the first leader from the "axis of evil club", and its affiliates, to congratulate Barack Hussein Obama on his November 4th victory. Ahmadinejad's unprecedented congratulation letter might be interpreted as an olive branch from Tehran.

But, in essence, it is the recognition of this new...

Sen. McCain's risky decision to run his presidential campaign based on character assassination, spreading fear and hatred and even questioning the patriotism of members of Congress, is the best indication that, come November, the Americans' decisions will be based more on the candidates' characters rather than real issues.

It was a meaningful moment this morning for Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be present in the General Assembly Hall to listen to President W. Bush's last speech to member states. But, is this a message to the United States? It certainly is. There is no doubt in anyone's mind...

- Both overshadow the presidents they serve or are going to serve. It's hard to believe that during his administration, President Bush has made a single big decision without the supervision of his VP, Dick Cheney. On the other hand, in the two weeks since her nomination, Sarah Palin...

A week after John McCain announced Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, the Republican campaign strategy seems to have regressed to that of the 2004 elections, focusing more on the Democracrs characters rather than actual issues.

Also, the Palin "phenomenon" appears to be distracting Democrats from the...

One might think that McCain's extensive experience gives him the security to choose a younger, relatively inexperienced running mate. But this is not the issue. The fact of the matter is, if something happens to McCain's health (and that is a definite possibility), does Palin have the experience to...