By Sara Bazoobandi
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For two years after Iran’s presidential election of 2009, in which millions protested Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s second-term win, the president enjoyed the unlimited power accorded him by Ayatollah Khamenei over the economic and political policies of the country. However, disagreements began to surface between the two over a number of [...]
By James M. Dorsey
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Rather than offering a comprehensive, encyclopedic threat analysis, this Insight aims to pinpoint the most immediate threats to the security of Gulf energy and international shipping and the likelihood that they could become a reality. It constitutes a first attempt at looking at the likely scenarios that so [...]
By Nurhidayahti Mohammad Miharja
MEI was pleased to host Mahmood Sariolghalam, Professor of International Relations at the National University of Iran in Tehran, for a recent seminar on “Iran and the Arab Spring: New Middle East Geopolitics.” The seminar, held at the Traders Hotel, addressed Iran’s changing role in the reshuffling of Middle East international politics, [...]
MEI Visiting Research Fellow Dr. Sara Bazoobandi recently gave an interview to the Persian website Arseh Sevom (The Third Arena) about the troubled economic situation in Iran due to international sanctions. She addresses the sanctions’ effects on elements such as the crime rate and health care as well as civil society more generally, and she [...]
“It’s not as conservative as people make it out to be,” says Dr. Sara Bazoobandi, an Iranian-born scholar at MEI. Having grown up and completed her undergraduate studies in Iran, Bazoobandi disputes the popular stereotype of a highly traditional and reclusive Iranian society.
“Yes, there are anti-women laws and various restrictions in place,” she concedes. “But [...]
By Sara Bazoobandi
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The pressure to rethink diplomacy toward Iran has increased after two days of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany ended fruitlessly in Moscow on 19 June. The diplomats proposed that Iran suspend its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent, give [...]
By Nurhidayahti Mohammad Miharja
In the midst of ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, MEI held a panel discussion earlier this month to address its repercussions on the already volatile oil supply and prices in the global economy. Panelists for “Middle East Oil: Blessing or Curse” included Ms. Vandana Hari, Asia Editorial Director of Platts, Mr. [...]
By Nurhidayahti Mohammad Miharja
On 6 April 2012, MEI was pleased to host a panel discussion on “China and the Middle East: Implications of a Rising Political and Economic Relationship.” Wu Bingbing, an associate professor in the Department of Arabic Language and Culture at Peking University, Dr. Bo Zhiyue, Senior Research Fellow at NUS’ East Asia [...]
By Abdulkhaleq Abdulla
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2011, the year of the “Arab Spring,” was an epochal one in contemporary Arab history. 2011 will also likely go down as a turning point in the Arab world’s perception of China and its relationship with the rising Asian power.
For the past 60 years, the Arab world has generally [...]
By Mimi Kirk
MEI hosted a breaking news dialogue on “Iran After the Elections” last week that looked at issues of GCC-Iran relations, political restructuring among Iran’s conservatives, and the effect of oil sanctions in the Islamic Republic. Participants included MEI Director Professor Michael Hudson, MEI Research Fellow Dr. Navid Fozi-Abivard, and Head of the [...]
