The International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah) issued its monthly Iran Case File (ICF) for August 2021, providing readers in general and researchers in particular with an in-depth analysis and comprehensive overview of Iran’s interactions at variant levels. The file is divided into three main parts: Internal Affairs, Arab Affairs and International Affairs.
The Ideological File reviews the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan which raised concerns among Iran’s political and religious elites. The Political File sheds light on the Iranian Parliament granting a vote of confidence to Raisi’s cabinet nominees after extensive discussions by the Parliament’s specialized committees. Lawmakers approved 18 out of 19 nominees that Raisi had presented to the Parliament. The Economic File sheds light on the significance of Iran and Afghanistan’s economic and trade relations. The Military File discusses several developments that Iran witnessed during August, most prominently, the appointment of a new commander to head the Iranian navy. The new commander has Kurdish origins and belongs to the Sunni sect, Brigadier General Shahram Irani. The Iran and Gulf file discusses the Taliban’s control in Afghanistan and its strategic implications. The file highlights that the Middle East can no longer rely on US guarantees to address potential security risks. In relation to Iran-Yemen interactions, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Sweden’s Swedish Hans Grundberg as the new envoy to Yemen to succeed the former envoy Martin Griffiths. The Iran-backed Houthi militia has pre-emptively declared that it is not willing to deal with him, claiming there is no point in holding talks with the new envoy. As for Iran-Iraq interactions, Iraq hosted the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership on August 28, in which six Arab countries participated including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Kuwait and Qatar, as well as France, Turkey and Iran, represented by its new Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. Finally, the International Affairs section addresses Raisi’s foreign policy. His government appears to be heading towards further extremism, has revived its anti-US rhetoric, stressing that its foreign policy is based on mistrust towards the West.
