iran elections

In global elections, incumbents are in trouble

In global elections, incumbents are in trouble

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: Lots going on especially big elections. We have the France results. We have the UK results. We have the Iran results. We have a lot of uncertainty of course, here in the United States, says Ian Bremmer. His big takeaway: this is a horrible time to be an incumbent.

The Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) organisation's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 5, 2023.

What We're Watching

Might Iran go soft on the West?

Iran’s Guardian Council approved six candidates – five hardliner conservatives and one seemingly safe reformist – earlier this month to run in a June 28 snap election to replace President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a plane crash last month. The council’s inclusion of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian surprised many, but even more shockingly, he has proven an unlikely but fierce competitor against prominent right-wing opponents.

Iran's opposition in exile goes on offense

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Iran's opposition in exile goes on offense

Next week, Ebrahim Raisi will be inaugurated as Iran's president. This power transition comes as the country experiences a fresh wave of protests. To unpack recent events, GZERO Media interviewed Ali Safavi, a longtime member of the controversial National Council of Resistance of Iran — the main political opposition group to Iran's theocracy — which was designated a terrorist organization by the US until 2012.