Who to Follow on Twitter for Solid (and Sometimes Snarky) Coverage of #IranTalks
Those reporting and following the nuclear negotiations in Lausanne have some good coverage on Twitter, sometimes even humorous.
Some say history is in the making. Some say its the biggest diplomatic circus to hit international affairs. Either way, these are the most in-depth talks with outpourings of hope, doubt, and criticism to have occurred between Iran and the United States since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
As Iranian negotiators are entangled with the P5+1 (a group that comprises the United States, United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France, plus Germany) over the nature of its nuclear program and the lifting of international sanctions, the world is tweeting. As the coverage rages on, and the talks go beyond the March 31 deadline, here are some useful accounts to follow for good, and sometimes snarky coverage of what's happening from on the ground in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Amin Khosroshahi, a photojournalist for the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA), has good photo coverage, often including great shots of the Iranian negotiating team in Lausanne. This tweet of photos states “a working session for the Iranian delegation during the seventh day of negotiations.”
جلسه کاری هیات ایرانی در روز هفتم مذاکرات @araghchi @JZarif #IranTalks #IranDeal #IranTalksLausanne pic.twitter.com/mWZRQnDWGy
— Amin khosroshahi (@KhosroshahiAmin) April 1, 2015
Indira Lakshmanan is a Bloomberg news foreign policy reporter. She's a good source for minute-by-minute factual reports, and also some humorous quips.
Watching chimney of Beau Rivage in Lausanne for white smoke or black smoke. So far, just smoke & mirrors #IranTalks pic.twitter.com/8Pk49WyleM
— Indira Lakshmanan (@Indira_L) April 1, 2015
Our latest: #IranTalks Resume Today With Lavrov Saying Deal at Hand: Araghchi says need “framework” on UN #sanctions http://t.co/Zrknh0Wt6f — Indira Lakshmanan (@Indira_L) April 1, 2015
Arash Azizi, a Persian-language television reporter for the Iranian satellite channel Manoto, provides coverage in Persian and English. Some humorous banter is also included. Note Ernest Moniz, the U.S. Energy Secretary has a hotly discussed hair cut (read The Washington Post's “Ernest Moniz Has the Most Washington Hair in Washington.”)
Secretary Ernest Moniz just told us #IranTalks “are going” when we asked him how are they going. He didn't hear my hair challenge, I think. — Arash Azizi (@arash_tehran) March 31, 2015
Laura Rozen, a Middle East reporter for Al Monitor, has solidreports on what is happening during the negotiations on her Al Monitor “Back Channel“. Her tweets do a good job to illustrate what it's like to be in Lausanne:
Huddled in freezing cold luxury hotel room in Lausanne, thinking we may be stuck here in perpetuity
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) April 1, 2015
Sanam Shantyaei, a British-Iranian journalist reporting for France 24, tweets nice little snippets from the diplomats as they walk past her in Lausanne, like this “overheard in Lausanne” moment:
Asked minister Steinmeier whether he will b returning to Lausanne. Without hesitation, he responded: “ja”! #IranTalks pic.twitter.com/e4OKxcp1dO — Sanam Shantyaei (@sanamshantyaei) March 30, 2015
Alan Eyre is the Persian-language spokesperson for the State Department who is known to provide analysis of what's going on in Iranian media for the U.S. negotiation team. His Twitter stream is usually full of retweets of other people's coverage, but there is always the telling tweet, like this photo he posted in the early morning of March 31 (marking the sleepless nights many involved in the talks have experienced).
— Alan Eyre (@AlanEyre1) March 31, 2015
