Richard Javad Heydarian

FPIF contributor Richard Javad Heydarian is an Iranian observer and analyst of developments in the Middle East. He is based in Manila.

The Great Convergence With Iran

A final, comprehensive agreement is yet to be drafted and signed, but by all indications negotiators have finally achieved a breakthrough in the decade-and-a-half-long Iranian nuclear negotiations. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) framework agreement, announced in Lausanne, Switzerland, after days of grueling 11th hour haggling between Tehran and the major world powers led … Continue reading “The Great Convergence With Iran”

Pak-Iran Pipeline Carries Energy and Defiance

After almost two decades of non-stop negotiations, and two years of intense U.S. opposition, the much-delayed and controversial 7.5 billion dollar Iran-Pakistan pipeline is well on its track to full operation in the next 15 months. In a telling sign of Pakistan’s growing energy woes, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari chose to ignore vigorous external … Continue reading “Pak-Iran Pipeline Carries Energy and Defiance”

US Arms Fuel Asian Tension

MANILA, Feb 11 2013 (IPS) – After a year of intense diplomatic standoff and territorial brinkmanship among disputing states in the South and East China Seas, the U.S. military ‘pivot’ to the region appears to be in full swing – a move that could further aggravate an already combustible regional dynamic. Against the backdrop of … Continue reading “US Arms Fuel Asian Tension”

US Pivot Heightens Asian Disputes

With newly re-elected President Barack Obama having chosen Southeast Asia as his first foreign destination, where he also attended the much-anticipated pan-Pacific East Asia Summit, the U.S. has underscored its commitment to its so-called strategic ‘pivot’ to the Asia-Pacific region. Months after the 2011 U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, President Obama signaled the formal launch … Continue reading “US Pivot Heightens Asian Disputes”

Iran Plot: A Pretext for War

For many Iran observers, Washington’s latest accusations against Iran — implicating members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States — come off as surreal, if not wholly bizarre. At this juncture, it may be too early to pass a credible judgment on the substance and … Continue reading “Iran Plot: A Pretext for War”