This week, Iran will officially have a fully functional nuclear power plant (with the help of Russia) in Bushehr (a city on the southwestern coast of Iran) that will connect to the country’s grid by November at the latest. There have been mixed international reactions since nuclear engineers began to fuel the power station. Last […]
Iranian officials have formally rejected Brazil’s second offer of asylum to Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who is sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery. Iran’s rejection of Brazil’s diplomatic attempts follows President Lula’s initial unsuccessful appeal to the Iranian government made late last month and forms part of an international effort to free Ms. […]
If it seems like the pace of events has been accelerating since Hassan Nasrallah announced that he expects Hizballah members to be indicted in the Hariri Tribunal, it has. Immediately, leaders from Saudi Arabia and Syria rushed to Beirut to calm the situation. Shortly after they left town, an Israeli commander was killed by the […]
Sean Patrick Murphy just posted a good review of The Stoning of Soraya M. over on the Global Films blog. The film is based on the book of the same name by French-Iranian writer Freidoune Sahebjam which tells the true story of one of Iran’s many stoning victims under Sharia law. More than anything, it […]
On September 1, the US mission will get a new name: “Operation Iraqi Freedom” will be reconstituted as “Operation New Dawn” as America’s involvement trends further away from combat duties. Let’s hope Biden’s trip marks the first crack of daybreak.
A small collection of human rights story from the FPB network and beyond: And the clashes continue… For those of you living under a rock (or just caught up in World Cup fever), Kyrgyzstan is currently in the midst of some of the worst ethnic violence seen there in years. As ethnic Uzbeks flee from […]
The power of the pen is most obvious when dictatorships try to silence writers and journalists. Ms. Jila Baniyaghoob, a 39 year-old Iranian journalist, is a sad case of this. On June 9 she was sentenced to one year in jail and banned from writing for 30 years by the Iranian government. Baniyaghoob’s sentence came […]
I’ve often wondered if the pace of modem life, the 24/7 new cycle, and the need for governments to respond in real-time to what is happening have had a negative impact on the conduct of diplomacy. Take, for example, the odd incident last week in which two American allies made great progress in a matter […]
By Rich Basas (originally posted on FPA’s Latin America blog, here) The last summer created a great shift in the discussion on security and the nuclear issue worldwide. Protesters in Iran took to the street after a perceived action by President Ahmadinejad in fixing the elections in Iran to maintain himself in power with the […]
By Sean Goforth (from a piece originally published by World Politics Review) Last week, Lula was informally tapped to mediate negotiations between Iran and the West over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly told his “brother,” Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, that Iran was prepared to accept Brazilian mediation “in principle.” […]
The following piece was originally published in Iran Times International’s annual Special Nowruz Edition. On March 20 Iranians the world over will start Nowruz celebrations, the first day of spring, marking the start of the Persian new year. Since the time of Achaemenids Empire the centuries-old Nowruz tradition, which literally means ‘new day’ has been practiced […]
This week, President Lula kicked off his tour of the Middle East, the first time a Brazilian head of state has been to Israel. His visit began on Sunday in Israel, and Lula will continue on to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian leaders and to Jordan to conclude his trip. In Israel, President […]
In Brazil, nicknames are very common, especially for famous people and even politicians. President Lula da Silva received his nickname when he was young, since the common nickname for Luiz, his given name, is Lula (similar to calling a person named Robert, Bob). However, given that lula means squid in Portuguese, the president has really […]
Had the Brazilian government not insisted in its policy of engagement with Iran, despite the crescendo of criticism lodged by the likes of Oppenheimer, then everyone’s cards would already be on the table with little room for negotiations. Let’s just hope that the newcomer, Brazil, is holding the best card in the house.
As Iran marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that brought the current system of government to power, there are two topics dominating headlines on Iran: their less than always transparent nuclear program and their human rights record. And both are the target of possible economic sanctions in the coming days and weeks. The […]