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The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) have gained political weight through the recent parliamentary and presidential elections. It is unclear whether the country is transforming from an Islamic Republic to an Islamic State. At the same time, Iran's foreign influence in the Middle East seems to be diminishing with the rise of the IRG in domestic politics. The IRG plays an important role in Iran's security and foreign policy and has also influenced the balance of power in the region. The formation of the new government under President Ebrahim Raisi consists of former IRG commanders, and there is talk for the first time of transforming the Islamic Republic into an Islamic State. Iranian foreign policy is under pressure, particularly regarding the nuclear agreement with Iran. Israel has carried out several attacks on targets in the Islamic Republic in recent years, leading to a loss of influence for Iran in the region. The results of the parliamentary elections in Iraq have also worsened the conditions for Iranian foreign policy. Afghanistan could now become unpredictable for Iran as it has lost influence there. Despite controlling the parliament and the president, Iran's Supreme Leader has not been able to convert his domestic political influence into significant foreign influence. [Extracted from the article]

The Vienna negotiations on reviving the nuclear agreement with Iran are continuing. The negotiations began at the end of November after a hiatus due to the election of a new president in Iran. The goal of the negotiations is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The Iranian nuclear agreement (JCPOA) was reached in 2015 but was abandoned by the United States under President Trump. The US's breach of the agreement was strongly condemned internationally. The willingness of the new US administration to return to the agreement is seen as an opportunity for a negotiated solution in the Middle East. [Extracted from the article]