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All in Policy
Museums have historically played an important role in the mediation of the relationship between the United States and Iran. But American sanctions policy made it difficult to conduct the exchanges of objects and personnel required put on exhibitions related to Iranian cultural heritage.
In Tehran and Washington alike, the impact of Biden’s election on US-Iran relations has been the subject of strategizing for months. Now, the Biden presidency is a real political fact.
With a favorable exchange rate, a famous culture of hospitality, and numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Iran should be a highly sought-after destination for international travelers. But that isn’t how it has played out.
American sanctions have created significant challenges for cultural heritage sector in Iran, particularly in the domains of tourism, heritage diplomacy, and international scientific cooperation. The continued study and preservation of Iran’s remarkable cultural heritage is at risk.
Sunday marked the expiration of a 13-year UN arms embargo on Iran. Iranian authorities have stated they are now free to buy and sell conventional weapons in an effort to strengthen their country’s security. But China, a major arms supplier in the Middle East, is unlikely to be making significant arms sales to Iran any time soon.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering new sanctions targeting several Iranian banks, a move that would cripple the few reliable banking channels for Iranian imports of food and medicine.
INSTEX alone cannot save the JCPOA, the future of which essentially depends on US-Iranian relations. INSTEX can nevertheless help maintain the nuclear agreement until, or even after, diplomatic solutions are found.
After a humiliating defeat at the U.N. Security Council, Washington will seek snapback sanctions to sabotage what’s left of the nuclear deal. Britain, France, and Germany can still keep it alive until after the U.S. election.
Iranian officials hope that the economic uplift of an implemented partnership agreement with China will win the hearts and minds of a wary public.
Tehran’s new strategic partnership with Beijing will give the Chinese a strategic foothold and strengthen Iran’s economy and regional clout.
Trump’s so-called maximum pressure campaign has empowered hard-line figures in Tehran, marginalizing those eager to take the diplomatic route.
With less than a year until Iran’s presidential election, political camps are making preparations for what is expected to be a watershed contest to decide who will succeed moderate president Hassan Rouhani.
A Swiss payment channel touted by the Trump administration as a solution to ease humanitarian trade with Iran under sanctions has so-far failed to process any transactions during Iran’s COVID-19 outbreak.
The Trump administration’s sanctions have made it impossible for Iranian medical personnel to keep themselves safe amid the pandemic.
The Iranian healthcare system is reliant on long-standing relations with European suppliers to see it through the COVID-19 crisis. European governments should press the US to strengthen the humanitarian exemptions in its Iran sanctions.
The combination of Iran’s physical interconnectivity and its relative political and economic isolation pose unprecedented challenges for international public health, particularly as U.S. sanctions constrain the supply of raw materials and imported medical supplies.
Washington and Tehran could use the COVID-19 public health emergency to show goodwill, dial down tensions while saving face, and avoid a dangerous confrontation.
In the past year, the prospect of withdrawing from the NPT has transformed from a fringe idea among hard-liners in Iran into a real policy option that resonates with a surprisingly large spectrum of Iranian society.
The European Commission has announced a new regulation that will establish export controls for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), a category of goods that includes the face shields, gloves, masks, and other protective gear. The new policy could make it more difficult for Iran to source the equipment necessary to protect doctors and nurses fighting COVID-19.
For the first time in 60 years, Iran has requested a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), seeking emergency financing to support its efforts to combat COVID-19. If the IMF fails to provide Iran financial assistance that it makes available to countries in similar situations, the fund’s reputation will take a hit, as the fact of effective American control over its operations is laid bare.
