Iran is not holding firm because it rejects diplomacy. It is doing so because, from Tehran’s perspective, retreat would not resolve the crisis –it would simply strip the Islamic Republic of the very instruments it considers essential to endure it.

With the outbreak of the war on February 28, the nuclear issue has been absorbed into a far broader bargaining environment in which longstanding disputes over sanctions, ballistic missiles, regional influence, and entrenched mutual distrust now intersect with a new set of geopolitical frictions generated by the war itself.

Israel's chronic problem is the gap between tactical victory and strategic success.

The United States and Iran have a common need to ease tensions. The upcoming JCPOA negotiations in Vienna can be given some cautious optimism.

Zarif’s statements would not harm Russian-Iranian relations, the bilateral relations have already been conducted by higher authorities than the Foreign Ministry.

Indian interests at stake in Iran and the US are much higher now compared to previous times

The 18th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao ended with the organization refraining from giving a clear answer to Iran's request for full membership of SCO once again.

Many in Iran and the United States’ political establishments hoped that the 2015 nuclear agreement would pave the way for a broader opening between Tehran and Washington.

Protests erupted in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, on December 28 following a massive hike in prices of various food items.