In its quest to weather the sanctions imposed against it, the Islamic Republic of Iran has resorted to political, economic and — most interestingly — socio-religious instruments. For a long time, Iran's reaction to Western sanctions was to downplay their effects on the Iranian economy. The official tone was that the sanctions would strengthen the Islamic Republic by compelling... Continue Reading
In a response to Iran Observer, a previous contributor to Fair Observer, Shayan Arkian and Mahmoud Ayad argue to dispel notions of pure idealism, religiosity, and military/nuclear ambitions in Iran. On February 27, 2012 an anonymous author wrote an article named “Why Iran Wants the Bomb: An Iranian Perspective”, featured on Fair Observer. Presented as “someone with an... Continue Reading
An analysis of the events in the Arab world should take the Iranian perspective into account, argues Mahmoud Ayad The Islamic Republic's environment is rumbling. The upheaval in the Arab neighborhood, introducing the “Arab Spring” and shaking countries from North Africa to the Persian Gulf, has been “springing” for more than a year and nobody seems to know how... Continue Reading
