Iran

Backchannels
Netanyahu says Iran sanctions aren't working. His UN ambassador disagrees.

Who to believe?
Backchannels
Why Israel is even less likely to strike Iran now

Obama appears to be hemming in Israel at every turn. Case in point: A report in which unnamed US officials allege that Israel has obtained access to bases in Azerbaijan, on Iran's border.
Why India is trying to expand trade with Iran

The creation of Pakistan cut India off from longstanding trade routes to Central Asia and beyond. India sees Iran as a way to reconnect, despite US sanctions.
Tehran: Iran nuclear talks on for April 13, venue to be decided soon

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is meeting today with Turkey's prime minister to discuss the Iran nuclear program ahead of April 13 talks, which may be held in Istanbul.
Syria crisis causes Iran-led 'axis of resistance' to fray

The Syria crisis is complicated by the regional cold war that has simmered for years between resistance powers like Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah, and Western allies in the region such as Saudi Arabia.
Why Iran wants to beef up Zimbabwe’s military

Iran has guns and expertise. Zimbabwe has uranium and diamonds. Both are international pariahs. It's a heaven-made match in a world of crushing international sanctions.
Report: US asked Russia to deliver ultimatum to Iran

A leading Russian newspaper reported today that US Secretary of State Clinton requested that Russia tell Iran upcoming talks are the 'last chance' before it pursues a military option.
Keep Calm
How US presidential politics gives leverage to the Taliban, Iran

While America’s adversaries in Afghanistan and Iran cannot actually pull key strings to choose the next US president, election year politics ends up giving them some leverage. 
Terrorism & Security
Former Israeli spy chief talks down strike on Iran nuclear sites as 'stupidest idea'

Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan gave a lengthy interview to CBS's 60 Minutes just days after Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu came to Washington to drum up support for an Iran nuclear strike.
Majority of Israelis oppose a unilateral strike on Iran nuclear program

Two polls that came out this week show that as many as two-thirds of Israelis oppose a strike on Iran nuclear sites even without US support – a step the prime minister has threatened.
Iran offers rare praise for 'the Great Satan' (+video)

Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directed rare praise at the United States, welcoming a speech by President Obama that aimed to cool war rhetoric surrounding Iran's nuclear program.
Backchannels
Netanyahu gives Obama the Book of Esther. Biblical parable for nuclear Iran?

Esther tells of a Persian plot against the Jews that was thwarted through cunning and the intercession of a gentile king. Purim, the holiday that celebrates the story, starts tonight.
Terrorism & Security
Iran nuclear talks: delaying tactic or platform for peace?

A return to the negotiation table could relieve some of the tension that has built up over threats of an Israeli military strike on Iran nuclear targets.
Terrorism & Security
UN inspectors get rare access to suspected Iran nuclear site

Tehran confirmed today that UN inspectors can visit Parchin, a military complex where a chamber for explosives tests has raised concerns about Iran nuclear weapons development.
Backchannels
Joe Scarborough implies General Dempsey unfit to lead joint chiefs

The morning talk-show host says Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey's comments that Iran is a rational actor should be a firing offense.
Why Israel's Netanyahu doesn't fully trust Obama on Iran

Part of the friction comes from Obama making the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a top priority early on, putting off Netanyahu's demands for urgent action on the Iran nuclear program.
Backchannels
Inside AIPAC and out, Obama's opponents turn up the heat

Attack ads from lobbying groups, warnings of nuclear doom from GOP hopefuls, and saber-rattling from the punditocracy surround AIPAC's annual meeting.
High turnout in Iran elections could end 'paranoia' of leaders

While full results of Friday's Iran elections have yet to be released, the regime has trumpeted an official turnout of 64 percent as a public vote of confidence after the tumultuous 2009 election.
AIPAC concerns aside, Israelis say Iran is a waning hegemon

Israeli leaders see Iran in danger of losing its dominance in the region as Syria, the linchpin of Tehran's regional alliance, falters. But a nuclear weapon could help it regain lost ground.
Israel's calculus on Iran: Shaped by leaders' youth in daring commando unit?

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Defense minister served as brothers in arms in Sayeret Matkal, a sort of Ivy League for future Israeli leaders. Now they face a grave decision on Iran.
Backchannels
Iran debate: If Obama doesn't bluff, he's not a good poker player

President Obama's interview with The Atlantic can be seen as a preemptive strike to control the nuclear Iran narrative ahead of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu's visit next week.
Iran election draws conservatives: 'God, please accept this vote from me'

State TV reported a turnout of 64.6 percent in Iran's election today, the first since the 2009 poll that led to a crisis of legitimacy for the regime. Leaders said it was a 'religious duty' to vote.
Iran trumpets high turnout in parliamentary elections (+video)

Iran's leaders see today's parliamentary elections as central to affirming their popular support – especially at what Supreme Leader Khamenei called a 'more sensitive period' of tensions with West.
Backchannels
If Israeli voters get their way, no attack on Iran without US help

So says a new poll.
Iran elections: The most important ever, says Khamenei

Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei seeks to prove he is firmly in charge in tomorrow's national elections, the first since 2009, when President Ahmadinejad's reelection sparked historic protests.