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Articles by Arash Karami
Iran’s Raisi visit to China, high on optics but falls short on immediate deals Original
February 20, 2023 When President Ebrahim Raisi departed for his landmark visit to China last Tuesday, the first in 20 years for an Iranian president, he stood in front of a large map of Iran with the words “Persian Gulf” written in English and Persian marking the body of water south of Iran’s borders. For Iran watchers, the message was clear.
Iran's Khamenei strikes conciliatory message on hijab
January 5, 2023 After nearly four months of protests in the country that were sparked over hijab laws, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed a conciliatory message for the first time Wednesday.
An Iranian-American on Television by The Iran Podcast • A podcast on Anchor
An Iranian-American on Television The Iran Podcast • By Negar Mortazavi and Arash Karami • 32 minutes ago 1x An Iranian-American on Television We speak to Asieh Namdar, a news anchor at CGTN America and a former anchor at CNN, about immigrating to the U.S. as a child in the height of the 1979 revolution and the hostage crisis in Iran, being one of the first Iranian-Americans on television, and dealing with toxic attacks on journalists online.
Human Rights Record of the Islamic Republic
Human Rights Record of the Islamic Republic The Iran Podcast • By Negar Mortazavi and Arash Karami • Sep 21 1x Human Rights Record of the Islamic Republic We speak to Hadi Ghaemi, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, about the execution of a young wrestler named Navid Afkari in Iran, ongoing protests against the government, how the state is using violence to crack down on protesters, and human rights violations in the Islamic Republic since the eve of the...
The Iran Podcast
We speak to Michael Singh from the Washington Institute about the Trump administration’s Iran policy and the future of the JCPOA under a second Trump term or a Biden presidency.
The National Iranian American Council
The National Iranian American Council The Iran Podcast • By Negar Mortazavi and Arash Karami • 5 minutes ago Go to next audioGo to next audio Go to prev audioGo to prev audio 1x The National Iranian American Council We speak to Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, about political participation in the Trump era and why the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization decided to endorse Biden for President.
Media and Cultural Products in Iran on Apple Podcasts
44 min We speak to Narges Bajoghli at Johns Hopkins University about how the Islamic Republic uses media to shape narratives in Iran and beyond its borders, how diaspora media provide competitive narratives, how American media cover Iran, and why Iran is still poorly understood in the US. 44 min
Successful Diplomacy with Iran
Successful Diplomacy with Iran The Iran Podcast • By Negar Mortazavi and Arash Karami • 13 hours ago Go to next audioGo to next audio Go to prev audioGo to prev audio 1x Successful Diplomacy with Iran We speak with Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute on how Obama’s diplomacy with Iran succeeded, why Trump has not been able to bring Iran to the negotiating table, and how a Biden administration should engage with Iran.
Trump vs Tehran by The Iran Podcast • A podcast on Anchor
The Iran Podcast • By Negar Mortazavi and Arash Karami • 4 hours ago Go to next audioGo to next audio Go to prev audioGo to prev audio 1x We speak to Michael Singh from the Washington Institute about the Trump administration’s Iran policy and the future of the JCPOA under a second Trump term or a Biden presidency.
How To Be A (Young) Man
How To Be A (Young) Man Get regular haircuts. Look your best. Maximize every positive feature and make up for every negative physical feature and above all be clean. Wear clean clothes, even to sleep or lounging around the house and especially to the gym. Present your cleanest and best self to the world even if running an errand to the grocery store. Lift weights. Don’t grab dumbbells and do curls while staring in the mirror. Do that if you want big biceps and you have free time to kill.
Why I started lifting weights
A little less than two years ago I woke up one morning and it felt like someone had put a knife in my left forearm. It was the most pain I’d felt since I broke my arm when I was 7. It was also one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It all started when on the Tim Ferris podcast Jamie Foxx said that all he did as a work out was pull ups. And since he was in good shape I had decided to pick it up too.
How Iran has moved to defrock ‘Instagram cleric’
On Jan. 12, Seyed Hasan Aghamirii, a popular Iranian cleric, posted on his Instagram account that he had been sentenced to two years in prison and defrocked. The latter is an unusual and rather modern form of punishment in the world of Shiite Islam that is exclusive to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
One year later, questions linger about former Iranian president's death
The cause of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s death a year ago is proving to be as difficult to explain as his storied political career. On Jan. 7, Yasser Hashemi, one of Rafsanjani’s sons, said President Hassan Rouhani had rejected the findings of the Supreme National Security Council regarding the cause of Rafsanjani’s death and ordered the council to reopen the investigation. This claim is not new, however. On Dec.
Iran military warns against IRGC sanctions
Iranian guards march during celebrations to mark the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Tehran, Feb. 11, 2016. (photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) As US President Donald Trump again, on July 17, certified that Iran has been in compliance with the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers and waived nuclear-related sanctions on the country, a war of words is developing between the two sides over non-nuclear sanctions. Maj. Gen.
Arrest of Rouhani's brother reveals internal power struggle in Iran
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives a press conference in Tehran, Iran, May 22, 2017. (photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images) When the arrest of Hossein Fereydoun, President Hassan Rouhani’s brother, was announced July 16 at a live recording for a video channel associated with conservative Fars News, the audience erupted in applause. Conservatives have long sought his arrest, and so it was natural they would be elated by this news.
Iran's parliament criticizes remaining US sanctions
US Secretary of State John Kerry talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif after the International Atomic Energy Agency verified that Iran has met all conditions under the nuclear deal, in Vienna, Austria, Jan. 16, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque) As part of the comprehensive nuclear deal reached two years ago between Iran and the six world powers, Iran agreed to reduce elements of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Iran to US: Worry about your own domestic problems
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting during the Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, Oct. 10, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha) Iranian officials have condemned US Secretary of Defense James Mattis for calling for regime change in Iran.
Iran ready to work with Interpol over 1994 Argentina bombing
People hold up pictures of the victims of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association bombing during a ceremony to mark the 22nd anniversary of the 1994 attack that left 85 dead, Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 18, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian) Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his government is ready to work with Interpol to resolve a dispute over a 1994 bombing in Argentina that targeted a Jewish center for which Iran was blamed.
Iran congratulates Iraqis on Mosul liberation
Volunteers who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against predominantly Sunni militants carry weapons and a portrait of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani during a parade in the streets in Baghdad's Sadr City, Iraq, June 14, 2014. (photo by REUTERS/Wissm al-Okili) Iranian officials congratulated the Iraqi government, the senior clergy, military officials and the Iraqi people for the liberation of the city of Mosul, which was occupied by the Islamic State (IS) three years ago.
IRGC makes changes in Tehran after Islamic State attacks
Two-year-old Emad is evacuated during an attack on the Iranian parliament in central Tehran, Iran, June 7, 2017. (photo by Omid Vahabzadeh/TIMA via REUTERS/ File Photo) Nearly a month after the Islamic State’s simultaneous attacks on Iran’s parliamentary building and the shrine of the founder of the Islamic Republic, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made personnel changes for security and intelligence in Tehran. On July 4, IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari appointed Brig. Gen.
Iran signs first energy contract since nuclear deal
Ali Kardor, managing director of the National Iranian Oil Company (2-L); Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and CEO of Total (C-L); Ezzatollah Akbari, managing director of Petropars Group (3-R) and CNPC International President Lyu Gongxun (2-R) sign an offshore gas field agreement in Tehran, Iran, July 3, 2017. (photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) Two years after it agreed to reduce its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions, Iran has signed its first energy deal.
Citing US threat, Iran parliament looks to boost IRGC budget
Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), in Tehran, Iran, Sept. 22, 2011. (photo by REUTERS/Stringer) In response to a new US administration that has stated its goal to work toward regime change in Tehran, Iran’s parliament has introduced new legislation to increase the country’s military budget by $540 million.
With Qatar isolated by GCC, Iran steps in
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and stressed the expansion of their ties amid a Saudi-led effort to politically and economically isolate the tiny country in the Persian Gulf.
The reason Tehran is against referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan
Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani gestures during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (not pictured) in Erbil, Iraq, April 20, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Azad Lashkari) Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani on June 7 announced an agreement among Iraqi Kurdish groups to hold a binding vote in September that could pave the way for an independent Kurdistan, free of control by the central government in Baghdad.
Iran's missile strikes in Syria send 'message' to region
An Iranian military truck carries a smart bomb during a parade on the occasion of the country's Army Day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2017. (photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) For the first time in its involvement in Syria’s six years of civil war, Iran has launched missiles against Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria.
The real reason Iran is pointing finger at Riyadh for IS attack
Members of Iranian forces take position during an attack on the Iranian parliament in central Tehran, Iran, June 7, 2017. (photo by Omid Vahabzadeh/TIMA via REUTERS) After the first terrorist attack by the Islamic State (IS) in Tehran, Iranian officials from various backgrounds have pointed the finger at their regional rival Saudi Arabia.
Rouhani to domestic critics: Peace more daring than war
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gestures during a news conference in Tehran, Iran, May 22, 2017. (photo by TIMA via REUTERS) Using the momentum from a recent re-election and in an effort to live up to his campaign promises, President Hassan Rouhani is urging his country’s various power centers, particularly the country’s supreme leader, to push for peace and better ties with regional countries and world powers.
Iran says IS attackers fought in Syria and Iraq
A boy is evacuated during an attack on the Iranian parliament in central Tehran, Iran, June 7, 2017. (photo by Omid Vahabzadeh/TIMA via REUTERS) According to a statement by Iran’s Intelligence Ministry, the attackers behind the first Islamic State (IS) bombing inside Iran’s borders have been identified. Iranian news agencies shared graphic pictures of the corpses of the attackers and their first names. They withheld the family names.
Iran’s supreme leader attacks US for support of Saudi Arabia
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the death of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran, Iran, June 4, 2017. (photo by TIMA via REUTERS) Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered one of his harshest criticisms of the new US shift in adopting Saudi Arabia’s anti-Iranian stance.
Expulsion of Iraqi forces has lessons for Iranians today
Iraqi soldiers standing in front of tanks look toward Khorramshahr, Iran, October 1980. (photo by AFP/Getty Images) In the Iranian calendar, May 24 is the equivalent of the 3rd of Khordad. In popular lexicon, the 3rd of Khordad is used synonymously with the liberation of the southwestern port city of Khorramshahr from Iraqi forces. The invasion in October 1980 while the capital city of Tehran was in post-revolutionary turmoil shocked the nation.
In wake of Rouhani's win, conservative rivals vow to remain on scene
A supporter of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani holds a poster of him as she celebrates his victory in the presidential election, Tehran, May 20, 2017. (photo by TIMA via REUTERS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who promised more interaction with the world and more social freedoms, won re-election May 19 with 57% of the vote.
In final day before vote, Rouhani lashes out at Iran’s hard-liners
A girl holds posters of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a campaign rally in Tehran, May 17, 2017. (photo by TIMA via REUTERS) With the exception of the third presidential debate in which candidates accused each other of lying and corruption, this year’s Iranian presidential election has been relatively calm in comparison to the last two elections.
Did Rouhani sell ‘grand bargain’ with US to Iranian voters?
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls in Moscow, Russia, March 28, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov) The nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers ended a decadeslong crisis that removed sanctions on nearly 80 million Iranians and potentially averted another military confrontation in the Middle East involving the United States.
Khamenei warns against election unrest, George Soros
With less than 10 days to go before Iranians head to the polls to elect a president and city council members, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cautioned against political unrest. “The issue of security and calm is very important for the country,” Khamenei said in a May 10 speech to graduates of the Imam Hussein military academy.
Khamenei increases pressure on Rouhani ahead of elections
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani waves as he stands next to a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Interior Ministry in Tehran, Iran, Dec. 21, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA) Two weeks ahead of the Iranian presidential election, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has increased his criticisms of the policies endorsed by President Hassan Rouhani.
Former Tehran mayor under fire for criticism of Syria war
Former Tehran Mayor and head of the Reformist Executives of Construction Party Gholam Hossein Karbaschi is under fire for doing what few of Iran's active or former politicians or even journalists do: criticize Iran’s approach to the seven-year Syrian civil war. During an April 29 speech in Esfahan province in support of President Hassan Rouhani’s re-election campaign, Karbaschi said, “We too want peace in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, for the oppressed to be defended and the Shiites to be supported.
Who killed exiled Iranian TV executive in Istanbul?
Gem TV executive Saeed Karimian is seen in an image uploaded June 19, 2016. (photo by Facebook/Saeed Karimian) Saeed Karimian, the owner of a popular Dubai-based, Persian-language satellite channel, was gunned down in Istanbul on April 29. Karimian’s GEM TV, which aired dubbed Western programs into the homes of Iranians, was long a target of criticism of conservative Iranian officials.
Conservative presidential candidate paints bleak picture of Iran
Iranian cleric and head of the Imam Reza charitable foundation Ebrahim Raisi gestures while registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections at the Ministry of Interior in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2017.
Is conservative Iranian candidate reviving Ahmadinejad’s Cabinet?
Iranian cleric and head of the Imam Reza charitable foundation Ebrahim Raisi delivers a speech after registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election in Tehran, Iran, April 14, 2017.
Why some Reformists may not support Rouhani's re-election
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivers a speech during a parade on the occasion of the country's Army Day, Tehran, Iran, April 18, 2017. (photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images) Iran's Reformist Council for Policymaking announced March 12 that it would be supporting incumbent moderate President Hassan Rouhani — approximately two months before the country's presidential election.
Will outstanding legal case prevent Ahmadinejad’s third term?
Against the supreme leader’s suggestion, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad registered to run in the presidential election. (photo by Hugo Goodridge/Al Monitor) According to Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, the spokesman for Iran’s judiciary, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his former Vice President Hamid Baghaei still have open legal cases. During an April 16 press conference, Mohseni-Ejei did not talk about the nature of the case or what the charges are.
Iranian government confronts Telegram as election approaches
Women use a mobile phone in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 23, 2016, during a campaign gathering for parliamentary elections held three days later. (photo by REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA) In the aftermath of the 2009 post-presidential election protests in Iran, social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube became popular platforms to disseminate videos and information from inside the country to the outside world.
Iranian officials give 'muted' response to US missile strike in Syria
The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter conducts strike operations while in the Mediterranean Sea; the Porter was involved in the cruise missile strike against Syria, April 7, 2017. (photo by Ford Williams/US Navy/Reuters) Iran’s military and economic support for the Syrian government in the country’s 6-year-old civil war is no secret. Many Iranian officials see Syria’s and Iran’s fates tied together.
Rouhani government criticizes IRGC arrests of journalists
Iran's Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi, a candidate for the upcoming vote on the Assembly of Experts, speaks during a campaign gathering of candidates mainly close to the Reformist camp, in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 23, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA) Members of President Hassan Rouhani's Cabinet have publicly criticized the recent arrests of Reformist journalists and online activists on the threshold of a presidential election.
The surprising rise of the head of Iran's most influential charity
Ebrahim Raisi is the head of Irans wealthiest and most influential charitable organization, Astan-e Quds Razavi. Posted Feb. 25, 2017. (photo by Facebook/foreignbrief) When Ebrahim Raisi was appointed a year ago to lead Astan-e Quds Razavi, Iran’s wealthiest and most influential charitable organization, few would have predicted that it could have ramifications for the country's next presidential election, scheduled for 14 months later.
Iran responds to US with 'reciprocal sanctions'
A staff member removes the Iranian flag from the stage during the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria, July 14, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Carlos Barria) On the heels of the United States announcing new sanctions against companies and individuals transferring technology for Iran’s ballistic missile program, Iran responded with its own sanctions regime on US military companies involved in supporting Israeli settlements.
Ahead of presidential vote, Khamenei attacks Rouhani’s economy
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani waves as he stands next to a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Interior Ministry in Tehran, Dec. 21, 2015. (photo by REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA) Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, used his most important speech of the year to criticize President Hassan Rouhani and his administration’s economic performance.
Iranian MP threatens to impeach intelligence minister
Iranian lawmaker Ali Motahhari speaks during a Reformist campaign for upcoming parliamentary election, in Tehran, Feb. 18, 2016. (photo by REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi) In anticipation of the May 19 presidential elections, Iranian security agencies have reportedly gone on an arrest spree, rounding up activists who use the Telegram app, prompting one Iranian parliamentarian to demand answers.
Zarif gives Netanyahu lesson in Jewish scripture
Iranian officials harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his accusations against Iran over a biblical story from 2,500 years ago. During an open session of parliament March 12, Speaker Ali Larijani said, “It is necessary to discuss two points about the leader of the Zionist regime [Israel]. First, he has distorted the history of pre-Islamic Iran, and he has reversed the events.” Larijani continued, “Apparently, he knows neither history nor has he read the Torah.
Zarif visits Qatar as Iran, Saudi Arabia continue hajj talks
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif delivers his speech during the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 19, 2017. (photo by REUTERS/Michaela Rehle) Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on March 8 made a rare trip to Doha to meet his counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, as well as the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
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