The most recent on top

Farhang Jahanpour, January 7, 2012 As US and Iran confront each other, where is the diplomacy?

Farhang Jahanpour, August 3, 2011 Iran can’t reform itself – the power struggle bewtween Ahmadinejad and Khamenei

Farhang Jahanpour, May 17, 2011 Is Iran next? The Supreme Leader versus Ahmadinejad

Farhang Jahanpour, March 4, 2011 The revolutions in the Arab world: The need for long-term thinking and humility

Farhang Jahanpour, December 15, 2010
The Wikileak files: The banality of politics

Farhang Jahanpour, November 18, 2010 This is what ought to be the U.S.’s interests in the Middle East!

Farhang Jahanpour – Video on Vimeo, October 6, 2010 Towards a solution in the Middle East

Farhang Jahanpour and Susanne Sklar, July 28, 2010 Dialogue on nuclear weapons and culture of peace by TFF Associate and a TFF friend

Farhang Jahanpour, July 28, 2010 Iran, Turkey and Israel – New Global Realities

Farhang Jahanpour, June 11, 2010 The new sanctions on Iran: Superpower domination of the UN Security Council heralds a sad day for the world

Farhang Jahanpour, June 11, 2010 Iran’s nuclear deal: A step forward A comprehensive backgrounder to Iran’s policies and the belligerent response from the United States (pdf)

Farhang Jahanpour, February 18, 2010 Iran: What happened? Where now? Article on OpenDemocracy setting the record right concerning the green movement.

Farhang Jahanpour, February 10, 2010 How to end the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, promoting development and human rights: A regional perspective

Farhang Jahanpour, June 21, 2009 Iran’s Supreme Leader silences the opposition

Farhang Jahanpour at DemocracyNow, June 18, 2009 Iran’s stolen elections, and what comes next

Farhang Jahanpour, June 3, 2009 How to end the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan Reminds us about the contemporary history of these countries and about the West’s involvement back in time – which is vitally important for understanding today’s situation. And end with a series of constructive proposals as to what can be done, rather much in contrast to what President Obama seems to try to do. A must read if you want the larger picture.

Farhang Jahanpour, May 8, 2009 What future for nuclear weapons?

Farhang Jahanpour, YouTube, May 7, 2009 The necessity of global nuclear disarmament

Farhang Jahanpour, September 11, 2008 9/11 Conspiracy theories – and what we must do

Farhang Jahanpour, June 10, 2008 The Elusiveness of Trust: The experience of Security Council and Iran The time has come to start a serious dialogue with Iran to resolve the outstanding issues. The policy of demonisation of Iran and sanctions is pushing Iran into the arms of Russia and China. Greater pressure on Iran will only force the people to back the hardliners, while Iran has one of the youngest and most pro-Western societies in the Middle East. Let us start talking and weakening the stranglehold of the hardliners on the Iranian population. Instead of contemplating a Third World War, let us lay the foundations of a lasting peace.

Farhang Jahanpour, Journal of Globalisation for the Common Good, November 1, 2007 Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Sufis: From Puritanism to Transcendentalism At a time when political relations between Iran and the United States are so tense and the two nations are viewing each other with hostility and suspicion, it is important to remember that the cultural and literary relations between them have not always been so acrimonious.

Farhang Jahanpour, September 30, 2007 Ahmadinezhad in New York Imagine that some Western president had been treated this way. President Bollinger of Columbia Univeristy ought to be fired also because he was the one who relied on media deception and demonization. This is not the time to be irresponsible and promote more wars in the Middle East!

Farhang Jahanpour, 31. maj 2007 Islam og menneskerettighederne Hvilke (vrang)forestillinger har Vesten og Islam af hinanden? Hvad siger Koranen egentlig om menneskets rettigheder i samfundet? Hvad kan der gøres for at bedre forståelsen – når vi nu véd fra historien at de to kan leve side om side og ikke behøve at støde sammen?

Farhang Jahanpour, 30. maj 2007 Irans nukleare program og den regionale sikkerhed Hvad siger Ikkespredningsaftalen og hvordan er den blevet krænket og af hvem? Hvordan bør man ikke behandle Iran og hvilke er de mulige løsninger. En autoritativ analyse, der skærer igennem propagandaen og spindoktoriet og helt konstruktivt anviser løsninger på konflikten med Iran.

Farhang Jahanpour, May 9, 2007
Iran’s nuclear programme and regional security
What does the NPT say, how has it been violated, how should Iran not be treated and what are the possible solutions?
An authoritative analysis that cuts through all the propaganda and biased medialized views

April 27, 2007 From Yeltsin’s Christian funeral to the war on terror Starting out with the interesting details of that funeral and the upsurge in religious sentiments worldwide, Jahanpour focuses on the general relationship between politics and religion in different culture, reminds us of Nietzsche, continues to CIA’s role in provoking the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and ends with what we can learn from it all concerning the – failed – war on terror today.

April 12, 20007 Islam and human rights A most learned and concise analysis of the perceptions of human rights in Islam and Christianity, their difference and similarities and, consequently, their contributions to a better world.

March 10, 2007 Fundamentalism versus liberalism The biggest challenge that mankind faces today is to prevent the views of the ‘men of zeal’ to predominate. What the world is facing is not a clash of civilisations, but a clash between a liberal and pluralistic view of the world, and one based on religious and political dogmatism and fundamentalism.

March 10, 2007 Voices of aggression: Exploring Israeli-Iran rhetoric What did president Ahmadinejad really say? Did he deny the Holocaust? What is said on the Israeli side? – that we hear much less about in the Western media. Dr. Jahanpour places the two opponents’ rhetoric in a larger domestic and international, even historic, context and reminds us of the remarkable Jewish-Persian co-existence and tolerance over centuries.

March 10, 2007 Western encounters with Persian Sufi literature A 10-year old article with an important message for the present Western conflict with Iran: One of the major contributions of Sufism to inter-religious dialogue, which has not been much commented upon, has been to serve as a bridge between Islam and other religions. On the one hand, it has softened the attitude of the followers of other religions towards mystical Islam and, on the other hand, it has made the Muslims much more open and receptive towards other religions.

Farhang Jahanpour, February 21, 2007 Bush’s missed opportunity U.S. foreign policy has gone totally beserk.The Neoconservatives that pushed America towards perhaps the worst disaster in her history, namely the illegal war in Iraq, are likely to push her towards an even more disastrous decision if they can manufacture an American invasion of Iran. The first time many Americans were fooled by their false intelligence and extensive propaganda…

December 2, 2006 Lessons of Suez and Iraq November marked the 50th anniversary of the Suez crisis, when Britain, France and Israel decided to attack Egypt and unseat Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Dr. Jahanpour analyses the remarkable similarities with the Iraq occupation and predicts much worse long-term consequences.

Farhang Jahanpour, August 16, 2006 Iran’s nuclear threat. Exploring the politics A thorough background to the present crisis, published by TFF’s partner, the Oxford Research Group, ORG. Farhang Jahanpour explores the rhetoric of aggression developing between Iran and the USA and Israel, and asks if war is really inevitable? Published in June but even more relevant now with the Lebanon War as a possible prelude to the bombing of Iran. Remember to return to TFF when you’ve read it and see other works by this eminent TFF Associate!

Farhang Jahanpour, August 16, 2006 Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi in danger of arrest Ebadi’s human rights center has been declared illegal by the Iranian government. After having written an article on the unfair treatment of women in Iran (Iran Awakening?), I received an email message from a supporter of the Iranian regime, arguing that at a time when Iran is under serious threat of attack and invasion it is untimely to raise issues about human rights and freedom in Iran. Indeed, the reverse is the case. The persecution of an internationally respected Nobel Prize laureate and human rights lawyer is a clear example of the Iranian regime shooting itself in the foot.

Farhang Jahanpour, June 28, 2006 Iran Awakening? Review of Shirin Ebadi’s memoirs with the same title. The author places it in the larger context of the Iranian women’s situation and movement and sees it in the perspective the country’s vibrant cultural life. Says Jahanpour, "In Iran, books, plays, films and poems have had an impact on society that goes beyond anything one is accustomed to in the West." Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4, September 18-22.

PressInfo 240, May 10, 2006 Time for substantive Iran-US talks A most insightful and fair analysis of the background to the US-Iran crisis and to President Ahmadinezhad’s letter as well as a convincing argument for a negotiated solution. Professor Jahanpour is a British national of Iranian origin educated in languages and with a PhD in oriental studies and has been BBC Editor for the Middle East and North Africa for 18 years. We are proud to present this most eminent scholar as new TFF Associate. See more about him and read his other articles here.

The political repercussions of the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (2006)

Iraqi elections must go ahead as scheduled: The alternative is much worse (2005)

The UN should try to end Iraq’s occupation (2004)

Shirin Ebadi, the winner of the Nobel Peace prize (2003)

Militarism a greater threat than terrorism (2003)

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Photo above: Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd’s Non-Violence outside UN Headquarters in New York. Kirill Levin, CC BY-NC-SA 2. Jan Oberg November 3, 2026 I am happy to be published in Horizons which is produced by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, CIRSD, in Belgrade. My contribution brings out a radical re-thinking of what concepts such as defence, security, deterrence – and peace – may mean if we want to create a more peaceful world. It also summarises a few things I have been working with the last few decades. Please read it here Og her er den på dansk, takket være Johnny Baltzersens lynhurtige oversættelse
UNITE-tillid, DREAM-velstand og andre konstruktive komponenter Normally we publish articles in English here. But this is a translation of a very important TFF document that should reach as many as possible in Denmark since this country’s government has been one of the most hardline in Europe and, up till now at least, has refused to use diplomacy and, instead, spent tremendous sums on arming Ukraine with the express goal of defeating Russia. Thus this – unique – article is in Danish. Vi er Johnny Baltzersen og hans Fælles Sikkerhed – Fælles Fremtid på Substack overmåde taknemmelige for at have oversat og publiceret TFF’s 2025-portfølje for fredsidéer med henblik på Ukraines fremtid. Vi håber den nu kan nå mange flere danskere – som også vil sprede den og skabe debat – nu den danske regerings og folketingspartiernes politik på dette område siden 2022 står nu – forudsigeligt – ved vejs ende....
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Photo above: Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd’s Non-Violence outside UN Headquarters in New York. Kirill Levin, CC BY-NC-SA 2. Jan Oberg November 3, 2026 I am happy to be published in Horizons which is produced by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, CIRSD, in Belgrade. My contribution brings out a radical re-thinking of what concepts such as defence, security, deterrence – and peace – may mean if we want to create a more peaceful world. It also summarises a few things I have been working with the last few decades. Please read it here Og her er den på dansk, takket være Johnny Baltzersens lynhurtige oversættelse
UNITE-tillid, DREAM-velstand og andre konstruktive komponenter Normally we publish articles in English here. But this is a translation of a very important TFF document that should reach as many as possible in Denmark since this country’s government has been one of the most hardline in Europe and, up till now at least, has refused to use diplomacy and, instead, spent tremendous sums on arming Ukraine with the express goal of defeating Russia. Thus this – unique – article is in Danish. Vi er Johnny Baltzersen og hans Fælles Sikkerhed – Fælles Fremtid på Substack overmåde taknemmelige for at have oversat og publiceret TFF’s 2025-portfølje for fredsidéer med henblik på Ukraines fremtid. Vi håber den nu kan nå mange flere danskere – som også vil sprede den og skabe debat – nu den danske regerings og folketingspartiernes politik på dette område siden 2022 står nu – forudsigeligt – ved vejs ende....
Jan Oberg TFF director October 28, 2026 Exactly one month has now passed since I published my criticism of the introduction to the special issue on Johan Galtung published by the Journal of Global Security Studies, JoGSS, and of Tor Egil Førland’s chapter about Galtung which serves as a preview to his forthcoming biography of Galtung to be published by PRIO. See the original on The Transnational here and the same article on TFF Substack with many general and critical comments and, in particular, the people who decided to withdraw from the biography project in protest. The special issue itself was extraordinary. It was devoted to the intellectual legacy of one of the founders of peace research and contained a number of strong assessments of his personality, scholarship, intellectual trajectory, and public role. Such assessments are, of course, entirely legitimate. No scholar is beyond criticism, and neither was Johan Galtung....
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Photo above: Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd’s Non-Violence outside UN Headquarters in New York. Kirill Levin, CC BY-NC-SA 2. Jan Oberg November 3, 2026 I am happy to be published in Horizons which is produced by the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development, CIRSD, in Belgrade. My contribution brings out a radical re-thinking of what concepts such as defence, security, deterrence – and peace – may mean if we want to create a more peaceful world. It also summarises a few things I have been working with the last few decades. Please read it here Og her er den på dansk, takket være Johnny Baltzersens lynhurtige oversættelse
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UNITE-tillid, DREAM-velstand og andre konstruktive komponenter Normally we publish articles in English here. But this is a translation of a very important TFF document that should reach as many as possible in Denmark since this country’s government has been one of the most hardline in Europe and, up till now at least, has refused to use diplomacy and, instead, spent tremendous sums on arming Ukraine with the express goal of defeating Russia. Thus this – unique – article is in Danish. Vi er Johnny Baltzersen og hans Fælles Sikkerhed – Fælles Fremtid på Substack overmåde taknemmelige for at have oversat og publiceret TFF’s 2025-portfølje for fredsidéer med henblik på Ukraines fremtid. Vi håber den nu kan nå mange flere danskere – som også vil sprede den og skabe debat – nu den danske regerings og folketingspartiernes politik på dette område siden 2022 står nu – forudsigeligt – ved vejs ende....
JoGSS-Silent
Jan Oberg TFF director October 28, 2026 Exactly one month has now passed since I published my criticism of the introduction to the special issue on Johan Galtung published by the Journal of Global Security Studies, JoGSS, and of Tor Egil Førland’s chapter about Galtung which serves as a preview to his forthcoming biography of Galtung to be published by PRIO. See the original on The Transnational here and the same article on TFF Substack with many general and critical comments and, in particular, the people who decided to withdraw from the biography project in protest. The special issue itself was extraordinary. It was devoted to the intellectual legacy of one of the founders of peace research and contained a number of strong assessments of his personality, scholarship, intellectual trajectory, and public role. Such assessments are, of course, entirely legitimate. No scholar is beyond criticism, and neither was Johan Galtung....
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Below are TFF-related media mentions, comments, videos and social media posts published elsewhere but not on this homepage. We happen to catch and list only a fraction. Regarding video comments and debates, we recommend that you go to the TFF Video Channel on Substack where many of them are reproduced. Jan Oberg is a contributor to China Daily – 52 million daily clicks – and Global Times, CGTN and CCTV (the national television), China Investment, Xinhua News Agency and several others. Articles and videos on these media very often multiply into countless Chinese (and Western media) that re-post them from these main media. Thanks to The China Academy, his analyses, interviews and comments are frequently posted on YouTube channels such as Thinkers Forum and Wave Media. These videos are often re-posted on Bilibili (China’s YouTube), the China Content Center on TikTok, and on the Chinese edition of TikTok, Douyin.com. This means reaching hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide over a year. While there are too many to catch on all these...