Mohamed El-Doufani writes:

It’s hard to recall the last time we heard good news from Iran. 

But recent developments indicate that the country has entered a new stage in its struggle with itself, its neighbours and beyond. 

The assassination of Iranian scientists and engineers, the sabotage of Iranian industrial installations — both widely accepted to be the work of Israel — and street protests bode ill for the country’s stability. 

Meanwhile, efforts to revive the nuclear deal have taken a giant step backwards, making the prospect of lifting crippling sanctions imposed by the United States even more distant. 

In this episode of Five Minutes to Midnight, Iranian analyst Behrouz Turani discusses the current status of talks to revive the nuclear deal, and the political, economic, ethnic and social fissures in Iranian society.

*Dr Mohamed El-Doufani is an editor, writer, analyst and commentator specialising in the Middle East and North Africa, and Russian and US foreign policies.