Film as a Political Tool: Tracing the History of Cinema in Iran Artistic Production In Iran When Ayatollah Khomeini declared that his reservation was against promiscuity, not film, the ban on cinema eased. The movies produced after the revolution, however, were distinct from their pre-revolutionary counterparts. Today, many Iranian cinemas have been critically acclaimed and […]

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Taste of Cherry Film Review: An Iranian Man’s Quest for the Meaning of Life Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry presents serene Iranian landscapes amid a protagonist’s grim ideation. The protagonist drives through Iran’s mountainous gravel roads, attempting to locate someone to bury him following his intended suicide in exchange for a generous fee. An affluent […]

Iran is an incredibly complex country that cannot be covered in just one unit. This resource guide is centered around helping teachers and students understand the complex relationship between Iran and the United States. The following tools provide context about the history of the relationship, what went wrong, and why tensions still exist today. Major moments in […]

On May 19th, Iranians return to the polls to select their next president. The much anticipated event has received a great deal of scrutiny from journalists and analysts who have been closely monitoring the candidates and their campaigns. Iran continues to play center stage in global politics due to concerns about its compliance with the [...]
The highly contested negotiation talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany) over the former's nuclear program resulted in a tentative framework for an eventual agreement. These discussions have been on the center stage of the global community whose concerns over regional security have elicited a [...]

   

From Mauldin Economics comes this review of four maps that explain Iran’s place in the Middle East. It is important to understand Iran’s geo-political position in the region as the country has significant influence in several countries and is involved through financial and material support in at least three current conflicts. The people of Iran, […]

‘We are Iranians’: Rediscovering the history of African slavery in Iran Iranian-Canadian scholar Behnaz Mirzai has spent 20 years researching the African diaspora in Iran, a little-known slice of Iranian history. This story is re-posted from the original publication at Middle East Eye. Jillian D’Amours May 9, 2016 ST CATHARINES, Canada – Behnaz Mirzai’s students […]

GEOGRAPHY Iran (pronunciation: ih-rahn) is dominated by rugged mountains, high basins (visit this link to learn about the difference between a valley and a basin), and desert, offering a unique and diverse geography ranging from snowy mountainous regions and hot and dry plains to subtropical lowlands. It borders seven countries and two large coastlines. In [...]

History of Sanctions in the Middle East and North Africa For decades, the United States utilized sanctions as an economic tool against hostile state actors. It sought to threaten global regimes deemed antithetical to US values and interests. Sanctions maintain a notoriously consistent presence in countries across the Middle East and North Africa, intimidating the […]