The next few weeks in Iran -- with the elections and the political drama around it -- can prove decisive in determining whether a non-violent, narrow and arduous path towards democratization will remain in the medium term or whether the Middle Eastern powerhouse will turn more repressive, unfree and undemocratic...

Say Iranian-American and few will think social entrepreneur or political advocate. Engineer? Yes. Doctor? Certainly. Reality show star? Yes, a few. Lawyer? Definitely. But a force for political reform and change? Not quite yet. In the eyes of most Americans, Iranian Americans are not yet known as givers or as...

Almost ten years to the day of the foolish invasion of Iraq, the discrepancy that existed between the media description of the Iraqi threat and the non-manipulated assessment of the U.S. intelligence community is being seen again -- but this time on Iran.

Iran is often described in the...

As a new round of talks between permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) and Iran came to a close, both sides expressed cautious optimism on the road ahead. Despite this positive momentum to start 2013, by no means was the agenda in Almaty comprehensive. Both...

There is both annoyance and frustration in Washington over Tehran's unwillingness to agree on the venue for the next round of talks over Iran's nuclear activities. The two sides have agreed on a date -- January 28-29 -- but it will likely have to be rescheduled due to Tehran's procrastination...

A little less than four years ago, Iranians from all walks of life poured onto the streets and demanded that their votes be counted. At one point, an estimated 3 million people were out in the streets of Tehran demanding their rights.

But the Iranian regime responded...

The right wing pro-Israel forces -- described by the New York Times today as "extremists" -- seem to be falling on their swords. They are learning that Senator Chuck Hagel is the wrong guy to pick a fight with. Though the battle is not yet over, the...

With the elections behind him, President Obama must quickly shift his focus to key foreign policy challenges that were put on pause due to election season paralysis. On Iran, the President should hit the ground running.

Obama has a unique opportunity to make headway on the diplomatic front between November...

Yesterday, President Barack Obama made the right call. The Department of Treasury announced a general license for aid to the earthquake victims in Iran. U.S. sanctions on Iran had prevented private U.S. aid organizations from sending crucial aid to the victims of the two earthquakes that shook northwestern...

There was neither a breakdown nor breakthrough in the Moscow talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1). The P5+1 and Iran negotiated but could not make any headway. No one should be surprised by this result -- after all, the two...

The nuclear talks in Baghdad between Iran and the Permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) failed to produce a breakthrough. The bad news is that time is running out. By July 1, the West will escalate with an embargo on oil and sanctions on Iran's Central...

While the bar was deliberately set low, the talks with Iran in Istanbul went as well as they could: Both side engaged sincerely, both agreed to a second meeting within five weeks, and both agreed on a framework for continued talks -- the non-proliferation treaty with all its rights and...

If President Barack Obama and Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei do not compromise at the upcoming nuclear talks next Saturday, the region will -- in the words of a diplomat involved in the matter -- head towards "total war." For the sake of world peace, both sides must compromise.

Despite the words of friendship, the diverging perspectives of the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government on key issues in the Middle East -- the Arab uprisings, the Palestinian issue and the Iranian nuclear program -- are profound.

The dispute on the nuclear issue is centered on red lines. Israel,...

This post originally appeared on The Hill.

Just as with the lead-up to the Iraq War, the pathway to war with Iran will be paved with false assertions, self-fulfilling saber-rattling and political weakness that might seem insignificant now, but will in retrospect turn out to be disastrous.

America is once again drifting toward war. Less than ten years after the U.S. invasion (and subsequent occupation) of Iraq, its myriad lessons seem forgotten. A familiar, toxic mix of sloppy politicians and politicized foreign policy experts is telling the American public that an irrational Iranian regime hell-bent on acquiring...

This post originally appeared on The Nation.

Only 12 minutes into his presidency, Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world and Iran, offering America's hand of friendship if Iran would in turn unclench its fist. Yet three years later, we are closer to war than we were...

The temperature between the West and Iran has increased dramatically. Escalation by both sides coupled with a reckless discourse that has normalised the idea of war have created an environment where military confrontation is a rising probability. The next escalatory step pondered by Europe -- in the midst of its...

The disgraceful attack by hardline Basijis -- the same group that beat and killed peaceful demonstrators in Iran in 2009 -- against the British embassy in Tehran appears on the surface to be a response to Britain's role in imposing crippling sanctions on Iran. The US and the EU are...

With news of an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, U.S.-Iran relations have reached a new low. If the allegations are true, this deplorable act should be strongly condemned. To that end, the Beltway is already buzzing with calls for a "robust response" that will "send...