The Biden administration has announced a fresh round of Iran-related sanctions amid continuing diplomatic efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.
The new measures, revealed on Wednesday, target “an international network of individuals and entities” that the Department of the Treasury said facilitated the sale of US-sanctioned Iranian petroleum and petrochemical products to East Asia.
The sanctions come days after American and Iranian diplomats held a round of indirect talks in Qatar to try to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the multilateral agreement that saw Iran scale back its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions against its economy.
(Aljazeera)
AIC’s President Dr. Amirahmadi presents his perspective on creating peace in the Middle East.
After a long break, Iran Chat is back and we felt this year’s series should begin with a deep dive into the current state of US-Iran relations, focusing on the very real and growing possibility of war with Iran.
To help sort through all the recent news and issues concerning US-Iran relations, we spoke with journalist Jim Lobe. He served as chief of the Washington DC bureau of Inter Press Service from 1980 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 2016. Currently he is an Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies where he directs LobeLog, an award-winning web blog focused on foreign policy, featuring posts by expert contributors on a variety of global issues, with an emphasis on US policy towards the Middle East.
Recently, he co-wrote an article for Lobelog entitled War Against Iran Becoming Ever More Likely. We discuss his rationale for this assessment during our conversation.
Listen here or on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/americaniranians-podcast/id1152417924
By Elliott Morton, AIC Research Associate
As the 2024 U.S. presidential election looms just a few short months away, many Americans’ minds are focused on the race between former president Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. The contest carries tremendous implications for foreign policy. While the candidates’ approaches to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza may be two of the most discussed foreign policy matters at stake, future US-Iran relations also heavily depend on the outcome of this election. Below, I will map out the possibilities for each candidate’s Iran policy should either be elected. While we cannot predict the future, the unusual circumstances of an incumbent vice president and former president competing for the White House allows for greater insight into future policies based in part on previous actions. This article will compare the Iran policies of the Trump and Biden-Harris administrations and will evaluate their likely impacts on Iran policy in a potential future term.
By Brooke Lowe, Research Associate
On May 19th, 2024, a helicopter crash resulted in the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and several other Iranian officials. Whilst the crash has been attributed to bad weather conditions, several other factors, such as outdated aircrafts and difficulty obtaining necessary airline parts due to sanctions, must be considered as potentially contributing to the crash. The aircraft that carried Raisi was outdated and its model had not been in production since 1998.
Between 1960 and 2024, there have been 217 plane crashes in Iran. According to the Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives, plane crashes in Iran have killed more than 2,000 people between the years 1979 and 2023. A significant number of crashes involved older aircraft, particularly those from the Russian fleet. Sanctions and difficulties in procuring spare parts have contributed to maintenance challenges and affected safety, which will be discussed below in this Industry Spotlight.
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The American Iranian Council (AIC), like many in the region and around the world, is deeply concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the growing likelihood of a regional war. We urge all parties to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and military initiatives, and to resolve conflicts through renewed diplomatic efforts.
It is undeniable that Israel has been subjected to unacceptable violence. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and other regional actors must recognize that the destruction of the State of Israel is an unrealistic ambition. Attacks on Israeli civilians are as strategically senseless as they are morally abominable. Hostile actions must cease, Israel's existence must be accepted, and differences should be resolved through diplomacy.
Equally, Israel cannot continue to rely solely on military force for its security. Reports indicate that Prime Minister Netanyahu has resisted a deal with Hamas to end the conflict in Gaza and secure the release of Israeli hostages. Additionally, Israeli airstrikes in Syria, including its attack in April on Iran’s Damascus consulate, and recent operations in Lebanon now see Israel and Iran coming into direct conflict—a devastating prospect for both nations and the entire region.