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Arash Azizi

Arash Azizi

Columnist
Arash Azizi is an Iranian affairs columnist for The National. He is a New York-based writer and scholar, and the author of the book 'The Shadow Commander: Soleimani, the US and Iran’s Global Ambitions'.
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Articles

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses members of the press before an emergency Un Security Council meeting last month. EPA
To avoid war with Israel, Iran needs the 'Great Satan' on its side

Anti-Americanism is a core pillar of its ideology, yet a deal with Washington is crucial for an increasingly cautious government in Tehran

CommentOctober 17, 2024
Demonstrators in Tehran celebrate Iran's strikes on Israel on Tuesday night. AFP
Iran's politicians rally around the flag, but how about the people?

The political class appears united behind Tehran's strikes on Israel, but leaders need to keep their ears to the ground

CommentOctober 02, 2024
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, centre, visits the shrine of Imam Ali in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf on September 12. It was his first foreign trip as Iran's president. AP
Pezeshkian's Iraq visit was rich in symbolism, but what did it amount to?

Although much of the Iranian President's trip focused on public diplomacy, fundamental problems remain in bilateral relations

CommentSeptember 19, 2024
In Parliament on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appealed to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's authority. AFP
Pezeshkian's cabinet picks don't match his call for change in Iran

The President's balancing act is canny politics, but how that addresses his country's challenges is an open question

CommentAugust 22, 2024
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, centre, next to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, leads prayers for Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and his bodyguard at a funeral procession in Tehran on August 1. AFP
Ismail Haniyeh's killing: can Iran fill its intelligence gaps?
CommentAugust 07, 2024
Masoud Pezeshkian will bank on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's support to get his cabinet picks approved by Iran's Parliament. AFP
Pezeshkian's push for a diverse cabinet has exposed divisions in Iran

The fractious debate around affirmative action is a reminder of just how lopsided the history of representation in post-1979 Iran has been

CommentJuly 25, 2024
Azar Mansouri is among the most prominent leaders in Iran's reformist movement. Mehr News Agency
In Iran, a woman has emerged as a kingmaker

The latest presidential election is as much about the rise of Azar Mansouri as it is about Masoud Pezeshkian's unlikely win

CommentJuly 11, 2024
Presidential candidate Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi spoke in a televised debate of a coalition with Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. EPA
An Iranian presidential hopeful wants a coalition with Italy’s Meloni, but why?

Some ideologues are in a search for global partners, not restricted to any one end of the political spectrum

CommentJune 26, 2024
Iranian lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian registers his candidacy for the Iranian presidential election, in Tehran, on June 1. The elections are on June 28. EPA
Even if he loses, Iran's reformist presidential candidate provides much-needed hope

The regime's consent for Masoud Pezeshkian's race may be cynical, but Iranians who want change can seize the moment

CommentJune 13, 2024
Could Iran elect one of Mohammad Mokhber, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Ali Larijani, Saeed Jalili and Mohammad Javad Zarif to be its next president? AFP, Reuters, AP
Will Iran's next president be a hardliner like Raisi or a moderate like Rouhani?

It depends on whether Ayatollah Ali Khamenei decides to make the June 28 election freer and fairer than it was in 2021

CommentMay 29, 2024
Former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has kept himself in the public eye long after his supposed retirement. AP
Is Iran's former top diplomat aiming to run for president?

Mohammad Javad Zarif's carefully cultivated image suggests he has political ambitions

CommentMay 17, 2024
Toomaj Salehi's acerbic critiques of the regime made him into a popular star. Courtesy: @OfficialToomaj / Twitter
Rapper's death sentence is a risky move for Iran's 'revolutionary' justice

Anger at possible execution of outspoken musical dissident Toomaj Salehi is energising Iranians at home and abroad

CommentMay 02, 2024
Iranian diplomat Reza Saffinia, centre, chats with then-Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion in Jerusalem in 1950. Israel Government Press Office
Were Iran and Israel really friends before 1979? It's complicated

Today's adversaries had a working relationship for decades, but deep differences over Palestine's future

CommentApril 17, 2024
Kimia Alizadeh celebrates after winning bronze in 2016. Reuters
Why has Iran’s only female Olympian medalist defected to Bulgaria?

A bittersweet development for her supporters, Kimia Alizadeh's departure comes only months after that of another Iranian champion

CommentApril 04, 2024
A symbol of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on a street in Tehran on Monday. EPA
This Persian New Year means disappointment for Iran's beleaguered workers

In the final weeks of winter, trade unions and workers’ rights activists are busy fighting for a living wage - without much success

CommentMarch 20, 2024
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