The White House on Monday defended air strikes launched over the weekend on the facilities of two Iran-backed militia groups on the border between Syria and Iraq, the second such attack by the Biden administration in four months.
John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, said operational and weapons storage facilities, which were being used to launch drone strikes against US troops and facilities, were targeted in Syria and Iraq.
Kirby said late on Sunday that the air strikes were “defensive” and a response to an “ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting US interests in Iraq”. He added that they were being used by several Iran-backed militias including Kata’ib Hizbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
The one that gets away: Joe Biden’s jaded romance with Iran
Nearly two decades ago, as Americans stunned by the 9/11 attacks were still sifting through rubble on the East Coast and in Afghanistan, then-Sen. Joe Biden seized the moment to call for a revival of U.S. ties with Iran.
In a speech in Washington to the American Iranian Council, Biden laid out some modest steps the U.S. should take to court its longtime enemy, including allowing more people-to-people interactions. Biden didn’t shirk from addressing issues of concern to Washington, like Tehran’s nuclear program, and he acknowledged that anti-U.S. hardliners hold the key levers of power in Iran. But he also spoke of how ordinary Iranians had held candlelight vigils for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, and how the countries had cooperated to some degree in Afghanistan. Biden even invited Iranian lawmakers to meet with him, wherever and whenever they would like.
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 Research Associate Lauren Elmore
Climate change is already affecting Iran on a multitude of levels and will only continue to grow more serious over the years. This is a wide-ranging and expansive problem, which is unlikely to be resolved without global action.
Iran’s environmental issues are increasingly causing economic difficulty, severe health consequences, and widespread societal strife. Though the Iranian government has recognized climate change to be a problem, mitigation efforts have been minimal, in part due to the country’s poor economic situation.
Internationally, climate change is broadly recognized; however, combatting it is a half-hearted gesture. Few countries have made significant contributions to the reduction of their greenhouse gas emissions, including Iran. However, some issues like water scarcity are becoming increasingly pressing and may ultimately refocus regional alliances and cooperation in the Middle East.
By Research Associate Clara Keuss
MYTH: Aside from classical and medieval wonders, architecture in Iran is largely limited to dated mid-20th century style structures.
FACT: Iran is not limited to one or two set tyles of architectural design. Iran’s diverse climate and varied cultural eras have inspired talented Iranian architects over the millennia to produce a broad array of impressive and creative structures.
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Dear Friend,
On behalf of everyone here at the American Iranian Council, we wish you a Happy Nowruz!
Nowruz is the first day of spring and the first day of the new Iranian calendar year, which will be 1400 on March 21 (2021). Nowruz has been celebrated for over three millennia, and Iranians of all religious and ethnic orientations share in the joys and prosperity it promises.
After a difficult four years in US-Iran relations under the Trump administration, it is with cautious optimism that we write to ask for your support towards a renewed effort in improving US-Iran relations during the Biden administration.