Essay in Payab Think Tank July 15, 2026 -      The interview was in Persian and the translation below was done by Ai.   Executive Summary The developments of recent months have shown that the Strait of Hormuz has once again become one of the most important centers of geopolitical and security competition in the periphery of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Intensification of regional tensions, the increased presence and …

Continue

This essay has been published primarily on CAES, Egypt and re-printed on PAIAB website. War in the Middle East rarely ends because the parties suddenly discover peace. It ends when exhaustion, risk, and strategic calculation converge. That moment appears to be approaching. Today, an unusual convergence of interests is forming among nearly every major actor involved in the current crisis surrounding Iran. The United States, regional powers, and even global …

Continue

Published in Tehran Times dated 2nd Feb. 2026 The Greenland debate has exposed something deeper than a transatlantic disagreement over an Arctic territory. It has revealed a widening gap between Europe’s rhetoric and its recent conduct elsewhere in the world - a gap that undermines its credibility far beyond the Arctic. At issue is not whether Greenland’s territorial status should be respected. Under international law, the principle of territorial integrity …

Continue

English version on Eurasia website Arabic Version on Eurasia website This article was originally published on the Center of Arabic Eurasian Studies (CAES) website: https://eurasiaen.org/ In the intricate web of Iran's foreign policy, two enduring challenges dominate: its fraught relationship with the United States and the long-standing nuclear impasse. These issues cast a long shadow over regional dynamics, where events in the Middle East often hinge on them, even as …

Continue

Published on IAI website (Italian version) Re-print on PAIAB website (English version) Israel–US Attack: A Suspended Equilibrium In the aftermath of the United States re-imposing the six United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and entering a post-war era, the situation in Iran can be characterized as a precarious suspension, which the Supreme Leader described as a profoundly adverse circumstance for the nation. Iranian analysts maintain that control over Western policies …

Continue

Various interests are staked on the outcome of negotiations between Washington and Tehran. If they align just right, all can benefit By Sasan Karimi, adjunct professor at the University of Tehran Faculty of World Studies and International Politics Program Director at the Nuclear Watch Network   The current phase of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States marks a notable convergence: the return of a moderate tendency to power in …

Continue

Enrichment under the NPT, JCPOA, and UNSR2231: A Legal and Political Reassessment in Light of Recent Developments Sasan Karimi, PhD. Deputy of International Horizons, PAIAB institute International Politics Program Director, Nuclear Watch Network Assistant Professor, University of Tehran Introduction The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), established in 1968, continues to serve as the bedrock of international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons while promoting peaceful …

Continue

Published in Donya-e-Eqtesad Newspaper on August 1, 2025 On the first anniversary of Dr. Pezeshkian’s administration, it can be said that the hopes of his foreign policy team for a breakthrough in foreign relations have not yet come to fruition. As a member of his foreign policy team during the election campaign, I, along with other esteemed colleagues, devoted significant efforts to transforming Iran’s foreign policy and opening new horizons …

Continue

Friday saw the launch of a new round of talks between Iran and the three European powers—Britain, France and Germany— in Turkey. The European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, entered the negotiations with two main aims. One was to hang onto the snapback mechanism enrichened in the tattered deal that would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran if triggered, to prove it still holds weight, and to demonstrate its applicability to the Islamic Republic. The other was to showcase their own role …

Continue

Published on IRNA 26th July 2025 These days, the most attention regarding nuclear diplomacy issues revolves around the "snapback" or the Dispute Resolution Mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The first reality is that the United States' withdrawal from the JCPOA, coupled with the relatively neutral and, in practice, passive stance of China and Russia, makes it clear that the only actors technically capable of utilizing this …

Continue

Published on 21st April 2025, Etemaad daily, and reprinted on PAIAB website The second round of negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, held in Rome, Italy, under Omani mediation, was particularly significant. Although the circumstances leading to these talks were the product of months of careful effort and deliberation, the first round held in Muscat, Oman, was largely devoted to sounding each other out and …

Continue

The primary focus of Iran’s current foreign policy is the potential activation of the JCPOA Dispute Resolution Mechanism, commonly referred to as "snapback." Setting aside its use in domestic political disputes, which is not the concern of this author, the main questions revolve around why the snapback exists, the likelihood of its implementation, the legitimacy and competence of European parties to enact it, and, finally, the conditions that would follow …

Continue

  Published on Iran Daily, Monday, 14th July 2025   Following a 12-day military conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, marked by the US strikes using heavy ordnance, including bunker-busting bombs, on Iran’s nuclear facilities, a renewed phase of securitization targeting Iran’s nuclear program has emerged. This escalation, driven primarily by the United States, European nations, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), follows a series of attacks …

Continue

  Published in Donya-e-Eqtesad Newspaper Dated June 24, 2025   Israel's Attack on Iran Led to a War with Similar and Distinct Characteristics Compared to the Iran-Iraq War   The most significant similarities between these two wars are their imposed nature, suddenness, the aggressor's pretext, and, most importantly, substantial support for the aggressor. Comparative Analysis of the Two Imposed Wars Just as in the first week of October 1980, we …

Continue

Published on Russia Today, 24th June 2025 The IAEA chief’s ambiguous language helped justify illegal military action By Sasan Karimi, adjunct professor at the University of Tehran Faculty of World Studies and International Politics Program Director at the Nuclear Watch Network     IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi. ©  Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images Israel’s military actions against Iran have significantly destabilized the Middle East, driven by concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities. These events, rooted in historical tensions, …

Continue

May 23, 2025 - 20:37 An analysis of E3 compliance and Iran’s responsive measures   The European Trio is now threatening to trigger the snapback and, through that, return UN sanctions against Iran. However, in doing so, Europe is ignoring the current situation and the background of the deal's implementation, which make the procedural ability to activate the mechanism invalid for France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.   The JCPOA, …

Continue

Published in Etemad Newspaper, Sunday, May 4, 2025 What unites Iranian society today in a shared narrative is, among other things, the new round of nuclear negotiations with the United States, facilitated by the Sultanate of Oman. The reality is that, given the collective memory of the post-JCPOA era and the period of maximum pressure, Iranian society cannot remain indifferent to the issue of sanctions. The economic openness and positive …

Continue

Note in RT News - April 25th, 2025   Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any organization I am affiliated with.   The current phase of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States marks a notable convergence: the return of reformists to power in Iran coincides with Donald Trump’s leadership in …

Continue

   Essay in Iran Daily News - September 14th, 2024 -          By Sasan Karimi Foreign policy expert     President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Iraq can be assessed from multiple angles. Firstly, the selection of Iraq as the president’s first foreign destination was a noteworthy choice. Iraq is a neighboring country that enjoys a strong strategic partnership with Iran, and the two countries have a significant level of trade exchanges, with …

Continue

  Us - Iran Ralations Session and the launching of the Persian Translation of the book "U.S - Iran Misperceptions: ADialogue."     :Featured Speakers Majid Takht Ravanchi S.M Kazem Sajjadpour Hossein Maleki Kayhan Barzegar Diako Hosseini Sasan Karimi :Translator of the book M.s Hashemi Nejad This event was organized and hosted by the KhabarOnline News Agency      

Continue