IBA Global Insight – Iran and the West
America's military build-up in the Middle East following Iran’s severe crackdown on protests last month has brought the two countries seemingly close to direct conflict – the latest escalation in their shared history. Below, we’ve selected some of the best of Global Insight's continuing coverage of these and related issues.
News analysis: Iran's economic crisis fuels protests as US tensions grow
An economic meltdown has plunged Iran into severe unrest, with mass protests, mounting fatalities and US military threats raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Unrest in December followed a sharp drop in the value of the rial that wiped out purchasing power for much of Iran’s population.
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Feature: Iran – from prince to pariah
Iran and the West have been sworn enemies since the Islamic Republic came to power in 1979. Now, the focus on Iran’s suspected nuclear ambitions means that tensions have never been higher. This feature explores whether the two sides are irreconcilable, and the implications of escalation.
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Column: Airstrikes on Iran: necessity or choice?
In June 2025, long-simmering tensions erupted into open warfare when Israel launched ‘Operation Rising Lion’, targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, military bases and officials. With no UN mandate and little disclosed intelligence, the strikes sparked concern not just over war, but over the very rules meant to prevent it.
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Podcast: Protests in Iran
As Iran finds itself increasingly isolated on the world stage, Javaid Rehman, then-UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the country, discusses in this podcast the difficulties of Iran’s lack of cooperation with the UN mandate. He also addresses the wave of protests across Iran since 2019.
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Feature: Killing the news – a global phenomenon
This showcase session at the IBA Annual Conference in Toronto looked at how harassment, intimidation and attacks against journalists and the media have increased worldwide. The speakers included Negar Mojtahedi, a journalist at Iran International, which has been targeted by Iran’s regime.
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Film: A conversation with... John Kerry
This interview with John Kerry – the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004 and who served as Secretary of State from 2013 to 2017 – was part of the IBA 2020 Virtually Together conference. In the interview, Kerry touches upon the issue of engagement with Iran.
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Feature: Iran’s age of extremism
Mass protests calling for the overthrow of Iran’s ruling clerical regime shook the country in 2023, leading to extreme repercussions. Given the regime’s tough crackdown on protests, this feature assessed how the international community ought to respond in order to protect the rights of the country’s 88 million population.
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Feature: Iran: the world’s worst executioner?
Iran has recently engaged in a spree of executions. The development has triggered protests in some of the country’s most notorious prisons. It has also prompted warnings from rights advocates that, due to a lack of legal guarantees or due process, dozens more could find themselves on death row.
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