Ali Alfoneh

1 week ago | agsi.org | Ali Alfoneh |Sara Bazoobandi |Behnam Ben Taleblu |Hussein Ibish

On May 29, Gholam-Reza Qassemian – an influential religious cantor and host of Islamic programming on Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting – returned to Iran following his arrest and brief detention in Saudi Arabia. While on pilgrimage, Qassemian posted videos on social media, since deleted, in which he accused the Saudi ruling family of “usurping and commodifying” the custodianship of the Kaaba.

1 week ago | agsi.org | Ali Alfoneh |Sara Bazoobandi |Behnam Ben Taleblu |Hussein Ibish

Despite the absence of a breakthrough in the fifth round of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran – particularly regarding Tehran’s assertion of its sovereign entitlement to domestic uranium enrichment – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has expressed optimism about the trajectory of the diplomatic process. Notably, media outlets affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have not launched wholesale critiques of the negotiation framework itself.

2 weeks ago | agsi.org | Ali Alfoneh |Sara Bazoobandi |Behnam Ben Taleblu |Hussein Ibish

Following four rounds of relatively uncontentious negotiations between the United States and Iran, both sides are now approaching a strategic inflection point concerning the future of Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Consistent with the latest public statements by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Tehran is asserting its fixed stance on its sovereign nuclear rights, making further diplomatic progress contingent upon U.S. acknowledgment of Iran’s autonomy in this domain.

2 weeks ago | agsi.org | Ali Alfoneh |Sara Bazoobandi |Behnam Ben Taleblu |Hussein Ibish

Frustrated by the negotiation style of U.S. negotiators, Iran’s diplomatic apparatus is increasingly voicing grievances over what it characterizes as “erratic, contradictory, and inconsistent signaling.” Beyond mere frustration, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei conveyed overt hostility in commentary May 20 on the state of the negotiations, exacerbating strategic uncertainty and entrenched geopolitical mistrust between Iran and the United States.

2 weeks ago | agsi.org | Ali Alfoneh |Sara Bazoobandi |Behnam Ben Taleblu |Hussein Ibish

Iranian leadership is showing increasing indications of strategic frustration regarding the trajectory of negotiations with the United States. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has intensified his rhetoric against President Donald J. Trump, once again talking of dislodging the U.S. military’s presence in the Middle East.