February 3rd, 2006 / October 30th, 2018
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Page with a chronological overview of the country file articles published on the Chronicle website.
Iran’s Armed Forces
Occupied during both world wars, Iran developed its military capabilities to defend itself. Part of the country’s pre-1979 military doctrine was based on the same history: to protect itself from the neighbouring Soviet Union, Iran should be backed by a...
Soleimani’s Assassination and Its Unexpected Effects on Iran-US Relations
Clearly, Soleimani’s death elicited a reaction Washington did not expect. Not only did it mend political divides over the way Iran deals with the US, it also turned Iranians from all walks of life against the US, further benefiting the establishment....
Unannounced Fuel Price Hike Sees Iranians Return to the Streets
Smuggling became a lucrative business, with 20 to 40 million litres being smuggled across the border per day. In addition, because Iran borders 15 countries, it is almost impossible for the government to control all its borders on a permanent basis. To...
How Iran Has Broken the Strategic Deadlock Created by the US
Iran’s strategy following the US’ withdrawal from the JCPOA has focused on two objectives. The first is to push back against the maximum pressure policy with the aim of proving its irrelevance in bringing Iran to the negotiating table on US terms. The...
Iran Raises the Pressure on Human Rights Defenders
Most of the human rights defenders whose cases are detailed in the Observatory’s report are detained in Tehran’s Evin prison. They are kept there in solitary confinement for long periods of time, are deprived of essential medical care, and are frequently den...
In Iran, Floods Pose Huge Financial Challenge for Government Crippled by Sanctions
The floods were the worst to hit the country in 50 years. Yet while the costs as well as the criticism of the government’s response to the disaster mounted, the benefits were also discussed. Iran has suffered from declining rainfall since the 1990s a...
Changing of the Guards: Iran Picks Controversial New Head of IRGC
Salami will also oversee the activities of the Quds Force, an IRGC unit responsible for extraterritorial operations, giving him a significant say in the way Iran’s network of regional alliances work. However, as organizations under new management usually t...
US Ramps Up Maximum Pressure Campaign Against Iran, Targets Revolutionary Guards
Although Washington claimed the designation is aimed at confronting the IRGC’s destabilizing activities in the region, many in the US consider it as an unnecessary provocation. Given that the IRGC was already under a huge amount of pressure, including f...