Iran

Research Professor
Kristian Berg Harpviken

30/05/2022
Abraham Accords on NRK Urix

Før måtte de skjule at de var jøder i arabiske land. Nå flytter mange jøder fra hele verden til muslimske Dubai. Hvorfor?

07/04/2022
New Case Brief: Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process: Questioning Representation and Ownership

This new FAIR case brief by Zenonas Tziarras focuses on how the Astana process became central to the peace efforts regarding the Syria conflict after 2017, but it has been heavily influenced by the interests and positions of its three sponsors or guarantor powers: Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

19/10/2021
MidEast Policy Brief: UN Humanitarian Aid Comes to Syria for Another Year

In a MidEast Policy Brief, Research Professor Pavel Baev writes about the future of UN humanitarian aid to Syria, following the UN Security Council adoption of Resolution 2585 on 9 July 2021. Even though the resolution might appear to be a recycle of the compromise reached at the Security Council in 2020, it is different in many important aspects and will be tested again in 2022, argues Baev.

14/09/2021
Workshop on Ethical Issues in Peace Negotiations and Mediation

On 9-10 September 2021, around 20 researchers met for a hybrid online-offline workshop to share their research on specific cases of ethical issues in peace negotiations and mediation. The workshop was part of the PRIO project 'On Fair Terms: The Ethics of Peace Negotiations and Mediation' (FAIR) and included both PRIO researchers and researchers from across the world.

18/02/2021
The Impact of Gulf Rivalries on the Afghan Peace Process

In a new policy brief on the importance of a neighborly concert for Afghan peace, Kristian Berg Harpviken examines the present state of affairs in each of the main regions surrounding Afghanistan: Central Asia, South Asia and the Gulf. Qatar, having hosted the intra-Afghan peace talks, currently stands out as the winner, not only because it hosted a high-profile peace process, but also because it has been able to use its relevance to the US in managing the diplomatic offensive of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries over the past several years.

03/07/2020
COVID-19 in the Middle East: Different Regimes, Different Responses

In May, a new PRIO Middle East Centre project started. The project, entitled 'Reacting to COVID-19 Across the MENA region', aims to explore how Middle East states reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic and what these varied reactions say about the regimes in question, combining statistical analysis of regional patterns with five case studies: Jordan, Turkey, Iran, Israel, and Palestine. The case studies are published in the MidEast Policy Brief series, with an accompanying PRIO Paper presenting the statistical analysis.

15/07/2016
Iran and its Relationship to Afghanistan After the Nuclear Deal

A new PRIO paper by Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh and Mohammad Fazeli highlights how the conclusion of the nuclear deal and the lifting of the sanctions on Iran can be expected to alter relations with Afghanistan.

13/06/2016
JCPOA and New Opportunities

Today Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif gave an address at PRIO on the the new opportunities that have opened up as a result of the 2015 nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – JCPOA). In his welcome comment, Norwegian Foreign minister Børge Brende emphasized how by this agreement Iran has regained its rightful place in the international community, and by the same token the agreement sends out a signal that major international disputes can be resolved peacefully. FM Zarif started out by expressing his condolences for the Americans killed yesterday in Orlando, and he unequivocally condemned this terror attack. In his talk the FM eloquently explained how in today’s globalized world a zero sum approach to international politics brings about negative consequences for all. He praised the nuclear agreement as the example of an opposite approach, one founded on fairness and in which all sides come away as winners. Only agreements of this sort can have long-term sustainability. This deal is irreversible, he stated, adding that it provides a platform for un-tapping the immense potential of Iran’s youthful, well-educated, and entrepreneurial population.

Both ministers commended PRIO for its sustained efforts at stimulating constructive dialogue between Iran, Norway and other nations.

10/11/2014
Timely Roundtable in Tehran

On 2 November 2014 PRIO co-organized a roundtable with the Institute of International and Political Studies (IPIS). Held at the Iranian Foreign Ministry on the occasion of a visit to Tehran of Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende, the roundtable was opened jointly by him and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javed Zarif. PRIO researchers Kristian Berg Harpviken and Gregory M. Reichberg gave presentations at the event.

The aim of the roundtable was to assess the ongoing crisis in Syria/Iraq and to discuss possible solutions in light of President Rouhani’s initiative World against Violence and Extremism (WAVE). The participants discussed how the situation the Middle East today holds the potential of fundamentally altering the political architecture of the region. At the same time, the sheer magnitude of the challenges may also serve as a catalyst for cooperation to confront it. What are the basic alliances and fault lines at play in the Middle East, and how are the current conflicts potentially transforming these?

Jørgen Jensehaugen (2023)
Israel and the Abraham Accords: A Failed Expansion

MidEast Policy Brief

Jørgen Jensehaugen & Pinar Tank (2022)
Palestinian and Kurdish nationalism: Understanding the ‘politics of the possible’

Journal Article in Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism

Pavel K. Baev (2022)
As Ukraine conducts deep strikes, Russia turns to Iran

Popular Article in Eurasia Daily Monitor

Zenonas Tziarras (2022)
Ethical Issues and Controversies in the Astana Process: Questioning Representation and Ownership

FAIR Case Brief

Gregory M. Reichberg & Eric Stollenwerk (2022)
Trust and Fairness: Ethical Dilemmas in the Iran Nuclear (JCPOA) Negotiations

FAIR Case Brief

Júlia Palik & Pinar Tank (2022)
The Impact of the War in Ukraine on the Saudi-Iranian Relationship