Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses the parliament, Tehran, January 2013

Iran Strategic Focus is an authoritative source of impartial news and commentary on the country's stability and infrastructure at this particularly troubling time in its history. Now that President Barack Obama has embarked on his second term in power, a stable foreign policy and the de-escalation of tensions with Tehran will be high on his agenda.

The Islamic Republic has already made some headway in trying to resolve the nuclear power issues; the country's key stakeholders, especially in powerful business circles, understand that the current sanctions regime will continue to hurt their economic and business interests. Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency seem to have reached an initial deal on how to resolve their technical differences. The big question remaining is whether the Iranian leadership will overcome its fears and engage Washington directly.

The ever-evolving dynamics of Iran present a challenging picture. Along with the limitations imposed by the new set of sanctions, the country's domestic upheaval and factional struggle continues unabated, while the government tries to resolve a nuclear stand-off and sustain an economy prohibited from trade with the international community. It is clear that a resolution of the nuclear issue would consolidate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's standing at home and abroad, while a continuation of sanctions could undermine his current administration.

Iran Strategic Focus presents an on-going analysis that will help foreign companies, governments and international agencies to understand the critical nuances taking place in Iran, and identify the risks and opportunities in this important but challenging Middle Eastern country.

The report covers much of the information above and is designed to inform decision-makers about the various issues affecting Iran, its economy, politics and trade at this particular point in time. It also contains a project-tracker database of all the developments in the oil industry. For more information about Iran Strategic Focus, please contact us here.