Most recent articles by Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Protests in IranThe spark that turned into a wildfire
In this essay, Ali Fathollah-Nejad looks at how the ongoing unrest in Iran is shining a light on the structural social and economic injustices inherent in the Islamic Republic and shows just how much trust in Rouhani's government has been eroded
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The Islamic RepublicThe West's Iran policy: For real change through trade
Despite four years of moderate rule under President Rouhani and the historic nuclear deal with the West in 2015, little has changed in Iran. There has been no improvement in the human rights situation and the lifting of economic sanctions has mainly benefitted companies close to the state, writes political analyst Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Economic policy in IranRouhani′s inevitable failure
Four years ago, Hassan Rouhani assumed the Iranian presidency on the back of a campaign pledge to alleviate Iran′s economic hardship by striving for the removal of sanctions. Yet the looked-for up-turn has yet to materialise. An issue, argues Ali Fathollah-Nejad, that is bound to play into the hands of the arch-conservative opposition
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Iran and Saudi Arabia:The impending storm
The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not confessional in nature. Both lay claim to regional supremacy and also to the leading role in the Islamic world – maximalist positions that naturally provoke confrontation. An essay by Ali Fathollah-Nejad, political scientist with the German Council on Foreign Relations
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How the West views Iran's leadersA sober and critical eye is needed
Has Iran really undergone fundamental change since President Hassan Rouhani took office? Observers shouldn't allow themselves to be deceived by the current trend towards rosy political analyses, warns Ali Fathollah-Nejad, a German–Iranian political scientist, who points out that developments in the Islamic Republic are characterised by continuity
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Sanctions against IranLike a Slow Poison Injected into Society
With its concept of targeted sanctions against Iran, the West has found a narrative with which it – and, ironically, the Iranian regime – can live. The people of Iran cannot. Sanctions are destroying the economy and harming the people. By Ali Fathollah-Nejad