"It's at least theoretically conceivable that Iran could offer American companies access to its oil. The Iranian oil industry is dilapidated and urgently needs investment," Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. It would be the Venezuela model.

Protests against the mullah regime in Iran continue to escalate. There are reports of hundreds of deaths. Terrorism expert [CEP Senior Director] Hans-Jakob Schindler explains what distinguishes this protest from previous ones and what makes it so dangerous for the mullahs.

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed about the situation in Iran. “A Human Rights group says more than 500 people have been killed in Iran's government crackdown on the largest protests in several years. Iran blames the bloodshed on foreign interference with the nationwide demonstrations now into their third week…”

The problem: although the wave of demonstrations is widespread, there is a lack of leadership. “The moment has not yet come when the regime is seriously in danger. What is currently missing is a central organization of the protests and a vision for the time after. There are no leaders,” Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. “But what is even more crucial is that parts of the regime must become disloyal to the leadership. That is not yet the case, but given the enormous scale of the economic crisis, it could lead to disruptions in the power structure in the medium term. A revolution must be organized, and it also needs sympathizers on the other side.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), in particular, plays a key role in Tehran's covert dealings. "An Iranian company or an Iranian businessman can buy a company in one of the UAE's free trade zones that is set up there for a transaction," Hans-Jakob Schindler, head of the Berlin-based think tank Counter Extremism Project, told our editorial team. "It has a managing director, a board of directors, and is subject to regular auditing. It's a completely legal company, but after the transaction is completed, this 'overnight company' is dissolved."

CEP Managing Director Dan Roth writes: The 30-day countdown to the automatic reintroduction of U.N. sanctions against Iran—the “snapback”—has begun. Triggered by Britain, France and Germany (the E3), this long-overdue decision is a response to Tehran’s repeated violations of the 2015 nuclear deal. What matters now is that Europe stands firm and sees the process through.

Germany maintains only limited economic relations with oil-rich Iraq – not least because of existing sanctions against Iran. However, many goods such as consumer goods and pharmaceuticals are unaffected, says Hans-Jakob Schindler of the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit political organization. The security expert advises German companies to conduct their business with Iraq in euros whenever possible.

Counter Extremism Project Senior Director, Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, interviewed: “Iran's announcement of its readiness to enter into a new nuclear agreement has sparked widespread debate about its true motives, ranging from an attempt to de-escalate tensions and appease its economically troubled domestic situation to a desire to guarantee its nuclear rights under international law. While Europe advocates negotiation as the preferred option, Washington and Tehran remain at a crossroads that could pave the way for a settlement or a new confrontation.”