Iran Insights

Many middle-aged and older Iranians associate Friday prayers with the iconic image of a cleric delivering a sermon four decades ago while holding a 1970s G3 assault rifle—once a symbol of revolutionary power and defiance.

An unprecedented police crackdown on pro-hijab protesters in Iran suggests a shift in priorities, signaling that defiance of higher authorities even by supporters will no longer be tolerated.

While Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has repeatedly emphasized that Tehran is committed to holding indirect talks with Washington, a prominent politician in Tehran argues that President Donald Trump is unlikely to accept such negotiations.

The absence of the usual jubilation after Iran secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup earlier this week reflects deep societal and political divisions that extend far beyond the football pitch.

Ordinary Iranians are bearing unprecedented economic pain as their Islamic government's row with its hated enemies Israel and the United States ramps up and Tehran prioritizes military spending to shore up defense and its regional clout.

A hardline cleric’s call to demolish the monument of Persian poet and scientist Omar Khayyam sparked widespread backlash this week, with many seeing it as an assault on Iran’s national identity by religious hardliners.

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader urges the government to cede more economic control to the people, arguing that this is necessary to address sanctions, soaring inflation, and a rapidly depreciating currency.

Reverence for the Shi'ite messiah, or Mahdi, has played a central yet contested role in Iran’s Islamic theocracy—bolstering the legitimacy of its two leaders while also fueling subtle power plays by hardline zealots.

A prominent political commentator in Tehran has suggested that the best way for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to break the current deadlock is to hold a national referendum on the question of war or peace with the United States.

Steve Witkoff’s suggestion that he or another member of President Donald Trump’s team could potentially visit Iran for talks has received widespread coverage in Iranian online media.

In his Nowruz speech, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei denied involvement in economic decision-making, claiming it falls under the responsibility of the president. In reality, however, his influence over the economy is both profound and far-reaching.

The Iranian year 1403, which ended on March 20, saw the further weakening of major state institutions as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei tightened his grip over a network of overlapping bodies, some of which he created himself.

Millions of Iranians across the world are welcoming Nowruz, an ancient tradition deeply rooted in Iran's heritage, marking the beginning of 1404 in the Persian solar calendar.

The Iranian year 1403 ending on March 20 marked one of the most challenging yet for the country’s ruling elite, which has been beset by economic malaise at home and historic setbacks abroad.

Anxiety and disinformation are swirling in Iran as the latest threat of a military attack by US president Donald Trump has many fearing war.

Tehran has denied that its foreign minister’s visit to Oman on Sunday was related to the US President’s letter to Iran's Supreme Leader. However, observers speculate that Tehran is seeking Muscat’s mediation.

A significant rift has emerged within Iran's ultra-hardliner faction following a prominent lawmaker’s unprecedented criticism of protests by radicals to pressure authorities into enforcing a tough hijab law.

During his June 2024 election campaign and his first six months in office, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian positioned himself as the "good cop" in the country's familiar good cop/bad cop dynamic between reformists and hardliners.