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5 episodes with Iranian studies
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2 episodes with Iranian studies
A ceasefire has been announced between the US and Iran - but is this the end of the conflict, or just a pause before the next confrontation?After days of missile strikes, threats and escalation, Donald Trump has celebrated the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and declared a diplomatic success. Iran says it has forced the US and Israel to accept defeat. Both sides claim victory - but who really got what they wanted?On this episode of The Fourcast, we examine what the ceasefire means for Iran's nuclear programme, Israel's security calculations, and the wider balance of power in the Middle East.Krishnan Guru-Murthy is joined by Ali Ansari, director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, former Israeli ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff, and Channel 4 News International Editor Lindsey Hilsum.
Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian history and director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. He's one of the leading authorities on modern Iran and has written widely on Iranian politics, history, and relations with the West. He joins Pat to discuss the current conflict, the international response, and how events are being interpreted both inside and outside Iran.
On the eve of President Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the global energy landscape faces a moment of unprecedented risk. With dated Brent crude already surging past $140 a barrel, the threat of tit-for-tat infrastructure strikes looms over the region. In this episode, Daniel Sternoff speaks with Ali Ansari about what's happening in Iran, how decisions are getting made, and how the regional energy landscape is being permanently reshaped. The conversation delves into the fractured state of Iranian decision-making following the death of Khamenei and the rise of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as both a military and a corporate hegemon. Ali explains how the IRGC's "mosaic defense" strategy has devolved operational command to local levels, creating a political system that struggles to coordinate even basic utilities like gas and water for its citizens. Ali Ansari is a professor of Iranian history and the founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. He is also a senior associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute and the author of multiple books on the politics of modern Iran. Credits: Hosted by Daniel Sternoff. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.
For Episode 85 of STARK REALITY, Host James Dier aka DJ $mall ¢hange rolls out the tattered red carpet to the Great White North aka Canada, and talks to special guest SINA RAHMANI. Sina is the creator and host of The East is a Podcast, a show that focuses a critical lens on the history of the present of the modern Middle East and North Africa, featuring interviews with experts and archival mashups. his twitter: @urorientalist Sina completed his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at UCLA. He is a translator, scholar, and writer. His work has been published in the PMLA, Iranian Studies, boundary 2, Radical History Review, and Public Books. He does this podcast in his spare time, of which he has plenty. He has never gone fishing. Needless to say, his podcast is really dope and a great source of info on West Asia and what is going on in this terrible world in general, from an anti imperialist perspective. Well worth doing a deep dive, he has a lot of excellent guests and his rants are always on point. He also helps produce a number of other quality leftist podcasts, Red Nation with Nick Estes, Office Hours with Adam Hussian (of Rev Left Radio), and many others. In our discussion we talk about Iran, ofc, the concept of Kayfabe, how Americans are the most propagandized ppl on the planet, media, social media platforms in the West, how podcasting has changed in the 8 years he's been doing his podcast, and more. Sina is the man and was very appreciative of his time and perspective. Go check his interviews and guests at www.eastpodcast.com - you will definitely learn something. Recorded March 31st, 2026. James Dier aka $mall ¢hangewww.djsmallchange.comwww.facebook.com/djsmallchange www.soundcloud.com/smallchange666 T/IG: @djsmallchangeNickel and Dime Radio on WFMUhttp://wfmu.org/playlists/nd For all of Host James Dier aka DJ $mall ¢hange's in-depth interviews and exclusive guest playlists, Subscribe to both STARK REALITY and STARK REALITY PLAYLISTS on Apple Podcasts, Mixcloud or live & direct on uptownradio.net / jasoncharles.net Podcast Network Music Channel's STARK REALITY Series PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
➡️ Watch the full interview ad-free, join a community of geopolitics enthusiasts and gain access to exclusive content on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingGeopolitics➡️ Buy your own Geopolitics of the Western Pacific Map Print: https://decoding-geopolitics-shop.fourthwall.com/➡️ Sign up to my free geopolitics newsletter: https://stationzero.substack.com/In all the analysis of the war with Iran, most of the focus has been on the American side - on what Donald Trump might want or what's his next move. And somehow, we focus a lot less on Iran itself - the country that might have the final say in all of this and that is now harder to read than ever before. After all, who is even running Iran at this point? Is the regime really as stable as it presents itself or is it falling apart underneath the surface? Is there anyone left to negotiate with - and is a deal even possible? And could this war end up pushing Iran to finally acquire nuclear weapons?To answer those questions, I'm joined by Professor Ali Ansari, the founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews and one of the world's leading authorities on Iranian politics and history. He has a view that goes against a lot of the conventional wisdoms and mainstream narratives about Iran and he argues that we largely misread the regime and its stability. And that it's both much weaker than it seems and more dangerous and irrational at the same time.We talk about how this war will most likely end, what might happen afterwards and why the situation will be even more unstable once the fighting eventually stops - or why what the regime is afraid of is not war but peace. And much more.
The Turkish government is warning the United States and Israel against involving Iran's Kurdish minority in the war against the Iranian regime. Home to millions of Kurds, Turkey fears any such move could destabilise its ongoing peace process with Kurdish militants calling for an autonomous state. Concentrated in north-western Iran along the borders with Turkey and Iraq, Kurds are estimated to make up 8 to 17 percent of Iran's population. As the war in the Middle East continues, several international news agencies reported talks between US officials and armed Iranian Kurdish groups. Seeking to assuage Turkish concerns, President Donald Trump last weekend ruled out such a move. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan welcomed Washington's assurances, but warned the threat remained. "Israel's intentions on this matter are no secret," he told reporters. "Israel has for years used Kurdish groups in the region as a proxy." Home to a large Kurdish minority, Turkey has fought a bitter war for decades against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is designated by Washington and the European Union as a terrorist organisation. Last year the PKK ended its armed struggle and committed to disbanding in a peace agreement with Turkey, but its affiliates in Syria and Iran are not part of this process – a distinction that keeps Ankara wary. "The Syrian branch of the PKK gave Turkey a hard time. Just as an autonomous zone within Syria was unacceptable, a PKK affiliate running the Iranian Kurdistan would be unacceptable – that's basically the state's position," explains Turkish international relations expert Soli Ozel. "They don't want a Kurdish independent state or an autonomous state anywhere in the region, because they think that it would contaminate [other Kurdish populations]." Turkey looks for regional help in its battle against Kurdish rebels in Iraq 'Dangerous gambit' For a decade, Turkey's military fought the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Ankara accuses of ties to the PKK. Earlier this year, the new Damascus regime, backed by Ankara, retook most of the SDF's territory. "Israel has a very long history with the PKK. They definitely have relations with SDF," claims Serhan Afacan, head of the Centre for Iranian Studies, a think tank based in Turkey. "So Israel can always go and try to support these Kurdish groups in Iran." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to Iran last Sunday, called on Iranians to rise up against the regime. "It is becoming clear that regime change is not an attainable goal just through bombing," says Asli Aydintasbas, a political commentator and Turkey specialist at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. "So I think Israelis are exploring other options, including ethnic competition domestically, working with ethnic groups, including Kurds." However, Aydintasbas warns that any attempt by Iranian Kurds to carve out an autonomous region would not only be met by strong resistance from Ankara, but also from Tehran. "The Iranian regime, though it's been unable to resist US operations and military strikes, still retains a significant amount of military power, at least enough to suppress its own people," she says. "This is a very dangerous gambit for all involved, including the Kurds." 'War with no winners': Middle East crisis enters a dangerous new phase Tensions with Israel Israel's support for Kurdish groups tied to the PKK has exacerbated Israeli-Turkish tensions, already running high amid Israel's war in Gaza and competition for regional influence. Analyst Ozel believes any Israeli support for Iranian Kurdish groups would fit with its long-term strategy for Iran and the wider region. "The Israelis would rather have a chaotic Iran than an Iran that has actually managed better, because no matter who runs Iran, I don't think they can play Israel's music," he argues. "But the real threat, as far as Israel is concerned, is to have a rival that has the weight to play the strategic game... which I think is one of the reasons why plenty of Israelis in positions of authority constantly attack Turkey these days, saying Turkey is the new Iran." Israel claims its attacks on Iran aim only to protect its security. However, Israeli support for Iranian Kurds would bring it into conflict with Ankara, a close Washington ally. For Trump, balancing Israeli and Turkish interests could be a major challenge in his campaign in Iran.
Fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and holding a PhD in Iranian Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Nazee Moinian is a powerful voice for her homeland. Though she fled Iran as a young girl during the onset of the 1979 revolution, she has remained deeply connected to her roots as an advocate for the Iranian people. Nazee shares the story of escaping the regime and assimilating into American culture while carrying her heritage alongside her. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From the Gulf countries, to Lebanon, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Sri Lanka - the conflict has been spreading. But what are the dangers of this war expanding even further beyond the Middle East? In this episode: Alam Saleh, Senior Lecturer in Iranian Studies at Centre for Arab & Islamic Studies at Australian National University Michael O'Hanlon, Senior fellow and director of research in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution Serhan Afacan, Director of the Center of Iranian Studies in Ankara Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Today's show begins with a special report from CNN Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen and his team. It's the first time a reporter from a US network has been allowed into the country since the start of the war. Also on today's show: Admiral Mike Mullen (Ret.), Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford University & Scott Anderson, Author, "King of Kings"; Noah Feldman, Professor, Harvard Law School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
It's less than a week since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran. And it's already spread across the Gulf region as Iran retaliates. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader for 36 years, was killed in US and Israeli airstrikes on Saturday. The question now is who is in control in Iran and whether the regime in its current form will remain or if this will trigger major change. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss how the US-Israel war with Iran started and what comes next.Guests: Anshel Pfeffer, Israel Correspondent, The Economist Professor Ali Ansari, founding director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at St Andrews University Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security at the Royal United Services Institute Laurel Rapp, Director of the US and North America Programme at Chatham House.Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight and Nathan Gower Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is intensifying diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war after an Iranian missile was shot down approaching Turkey. The country worries it could be among those most affected by the conflict, as rising oil prices threaten the nation's fragile economy and a potential Iranian refugee wave looms. NATO forces on Wednesday tracked the Iranian ballistic missile through Iraq and Syria and intercepted it as it headed towards Turkey's Hatay province – home to the Incirlik air base, where a large US Air Force presence is stationed, along with nuclear weapons. Alliance member Turkey also hosts a NATO radar base close to the Iranian border, operated by American forces. Despite the presence of US soldiers, up until this incident Turkey had not been targeted by Iran, with Ankara maintaining close ties with Tehran. The Turkish government summoned the Iranian ambassador to make a formal complaint immediately after the missile was shot down. But Tehran denies firing the missile. Iran's armed forces have decentralised command and control under the so-called Mosaic defence doctrine following the killing of many of its senior military commanders. Serhan Afacan, head of the Centre for Iranian Studies, a research organisation in Ankara, suggests the attack could be the action of a local commander. "Some radicals within the Revolutionary Guards have said Turkey should be targeted like Iran's Gulf neighbours," Afacan said. "The risk is always present, which is why Turkey keeps open communication with Iran." President Erdogan is redoubling diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict, while refusing US forces access to Turkish airspace for attacks on Iran. But Erdogan's priority, according to political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, is protecting his relationship with US President Donald Trump. "Erdogan has done what can be expected: he criticised Israel, but also condemned Iran for attacking Arab countries. He avoids mentioning Trump directly and has managed to preserve the relationship," Yesilada said. How the war in Iran is testing Europe's US military base network Fears of Iranian exodus With the war escalating, Ankara's primary concern is an overwhelming exodus of Iranian refugees. Turkey already hosts over 3 million Syrians and hundreds of thousands from Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey's 540 km border with Iran is protected by a concrete wall and razor wire, and the mountainous region is snowbound; few Iranians have so far sought refuge. However, Turkish international relations expert Soli Ozel says Ankara is fearful that the current trickle of people fleeing could turn into a flood, posing a significant threat to Turkey's stability. "If Iran's regime falls and turmoil follows, millions could flee. Syria's civil war began with 23 million people; Iran's population is 93 million," he warned. Last month, Turkish parliamentarians received a secret briefing on contingency plans for any Iranian exodus. "They're working on solutions. One of those was that they were going to create a safe zone inside Iran," said Ozel. The Turkish presidency denied reports by Bloomberg news agency that it was considering plans for a so-called safe zone in Iran, controlled by Turkey's military. But Turkish officials have declared they would not allow an uncontrolled influx of Iranian refugees. Why Iran's 'beheaded' power structure may outlive Ali Khamenei Economic fears The Turkish economy is already reeling from government austerity measures aimed at taming inflation above 30 percent. Those efforts could receive a fatal blow with the Iran war already sending oil prices soaring. "Rising oil prices pose a huge threat. Turkish inflation isn't under control, and oil drives it up. Every 10 percent rise in oil adds about 1 percent to inflation," Yesilada noted. The analyst warned that sustained high oil prices could present political challenges: "Modest increases in wages and prices at the beginning of the year would prove insufficient to cover basic needs, potentially resulting in rising social unrest." Ankara has bitter memories of previous US wars in the Middle East. The US-led invasion of Iraq plunged the country into civil war, which devastated Turkey's border economy and had far-reaching security repercussions. The fear in Ankara is that it will again be picking up the bill for Washington's war.
The U.S. and Israel launched a widespread attack on Iran on Saturday, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. But despite his death, Iran's regime has shown no signs of collapse, and remains defiant as airstrikes continue and casualties mount. Local lawmakers and politicians have criticized President Donald Trump's decision to bomb Iran. Yet, Trump has not made clear how long the war will last and how the U.S. aims to achieve its objectives. Scott and Marisa are joined by Abbas Milani, director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, to discuss the political and economic impact of the strikes — and what may come next for the region. Check out Political Breakdown's weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Abbas Milani, research Fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution and Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, joined us on the Guy Benson Show today to offer his reaction to this weekend's strikes against Iran. Dr. Milani described why the killing of Ayatollah Khomeini offers Iranians their best shot at a "secular Democracy" for the first time in decades, and Dr. Milani lays out who could potentially run the country going forward. Listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A wave of protests has swept Iran and been met by a brutal crackdown. Could this mark the end of the ruling regime? Thousands have been killed and the government faces a continuing backlash, growing economic crisis and Trump's threats to take military action against the nation. Gavin Esler is joined by Professor Ali Ansari, founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and author of The Politics of Nationalism in Modern Iran. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact ads@podmasters.co.uk to find out more. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dr. Raz Zimmt er en av Israels fremste eksperter på det moderne Iran og leder forskningsprogrammet for Iran og den sjiamuslimske aksen ved Institute for National Security Studies i Tel Aviv. Han er også forsker ved Alliance Center for Iranian Studies ved Tel Aviv University.Han har en doktorgrad i Midtøstens historie, har tilbrakt mer enn to tiår som Iranspesialist i israelsk militær etterretning, og holder jevnlig orienteringer for beslutningstakere og medier om iransk politikk, samfunn og utenrikspolitikk.INSS er en israelsk tenketank for nasjonal sikkerhet som driver forskning og politisk analyse innen sikkerhets- og strategiske spørsmål. De utarbeider studier, policy‑notater, simuleringer og anbefalinger rettet mot israelske beslutningstakere, forsvarssektoren, diplomater og det bredere strategiske miljøet i Israel og internasjonalt.I dagens samtale snakker vi om opprørene og demonstrasjonene i Iran, og om det iranske folkets mot. Vi diskuterer hva som faktisk skal til for å styrte det iranske regimet, muligheten for amerikansk og israelsk militær intervensjon, samt den potensielle risikoen hypersoniske ballistiske missiler utgjør for Israel. Videre snakker vi om kronprins Reza Pahlavi, og om han har nok støtte til å samle folket.English:Dr. Raz Zimmt is one of Israel's leading experts on contemporary Iran, serving as Director of the Iran and the Shiite Axis research program at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. He is also a research fellow at the Alliance Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University. He holds a PhD in Middle Eastern history, has spent more than two decades as an Iran specialist in Israeli military intelligence, and regularly briefs policymakers and media on Iranian politics, society, and foreign policy.The INSS is an Israeli national security think tank that conducts research and policy analysis on security and strategic affairs. They produce studies, policy briefs, simulations, and recommendations aimed at Israeli decision‑makers, the defense establishment, diplomats, and the broader strategic community in Israel and abroad.In todays conversation we talk about the uprisings and demonstrations in Iran, and the bravery of the Iranian people. We speak about what it would take to actually take down the Iranian regime, about possible US and Israeli military intervention, and the possible risk of hypersonic ballistic missiles for Israel. Further we speak about the Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, and does he have enough support to rally the people?***► NY BOK UTE NÅ: Frykt og Stillhet - jødiske stemmer i Norge etter 7. oktober. Bestill her: https://bok.norli.no/frykt-og-stillhet► STØTT ARBEIDET PÅ VIPPSOm du ønsker å støtte arbeidet med denne podcasten, kan du bidra med et stort eller lite beløp, etter eget ønske. All støtte settes pris på, og du bidrar til arbeidet med å lage flere episoder. Bruk Vippsnummer: #823278► BLI MEDLEM Fremover vil de som er støttemedlemmer få tilgang til episodene først. Da støtter du podcasten med det samme som prisen av en kaffe hver måned. Setter stor pris på om du blir støttemedlem. Tusen takk.► Annonsere på Henrik Beckheim Podcast?Send en mail til post@henrikbeckheim.no ► MERCH: Kjøp klær, kopper, capser og mer: https://henrikbeckheim.com/store► Linker:Youtube | Nettside | TikTok | Instagram | Podimo | Facebook | Apple
Turkey is opposing calls for regime change in Iran as security forces carry out a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. The Turkish government accuses Israel of exploiting the unrest, and is leading efforts to block any military action against Iran – warning that a collapse of the regime could destabilise the region. Since protests began across Iran almost three weeks ago, Turkey has tried to play down the scale of the unrest. It has distanced itself from Western allies calling for regime change and avoided offering explicit support for those demands. The protests began on 28 December after a currency collapse triggered demonstrations by merchants and traders in Tehran. The unrest quickly spread nationwide. Activists say more than 2,000 protesters have been killed. Alongside Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar, Turkey has lobbied Washington against any military response to the killings. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said such a move would worsen the situation. “We oppose military intervention against Iran; Iran must resolve its own problems,” Fidan said. “We want the issue resolved through dialogue.” France summons Iran envoy over 'unrestrained' protest crackdown Fear of regional collapse According to The Guardian newspaper, US President Donald Trump's decision to step back from attacking Iran was influenced by Turkey and its Arab allies – who warned of regional chaos if an attack went ahead. Turkey fears that Iran could descend into civil war similar to Iraq after the collapse of its regime, said Serhan Afacan, head of the Ankara-based Center for Iranian Studies, adding the consequences would be more severe due to Iran's size and diversity. “Iran has a population of about 90 million, including many ethnic minorities such as Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis,” Afacan explained. “If a conflict erupts among these groups, it could result in a prolonged civil war. Any resulting immigration from Iran to Turkey could reach millions.” Turkey and Iran unite against Israel as regional power dynamics shift PKK security fears Turkey already hosts about three million refugees. Experts say Ankara's biggest security concern is the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has fought Turkey for an independent Kurdish state and has an Iranian affiliate, PJAK. Although the PKK announced a ceasefire last year and pledged to disband, Ankara fears unrest in Iran could give the group new opportunities, said Iranian expert Bilgehan Alagoz, of Marmara University. “Day by day, we have started to see the PKK groups in certain cities of Iran demanding some separatist demands, and this is the main concern for Turkey,” he said. Ankara also accuses Israel of exploiting the situation in Iran. “Israel has targeted all these PKK groups and tried to motivate the PKK groups inside Iran,” Alagoz said. “Any instability inside Iran can create a space for the PKK.” Fidan has also accused Israel of manipulating the protests. Turkey is already confronting another PKK-linked group in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, which controls large parts of the country. Ankara accuses Israel of supporting the SDF, adding Iran to a broader Israeli-Turkish regional rivalry. France's Iranian diaspora divided over deadly protests back home Energy pressure Turkey could also clash with Washington over Iran if the protests continue. Trump has warned that countries trading with Tehran could face 25 percent tariffs. Iran supplies Turkey with about one-fifth of its gas needs, according to Atilla Yesilada, an analyst at the Global Source Partners think tank. “Iran pumps 10 billion cubic metres of gas to Turkey every year, roughly one-fifth of total consumption,” he said. That supply could theoretically be replaced by liquefied natural gas imports, but Yesilada warned that Turkey is already struggling to cut its dependence on Russia, its main energy supplier. “Combine this with increasing American and EU pressure to cut gas purchases from Russia, and Turkey is in a very difficult situation,” he said.
It's been a week since Iran imposed a complete internet blackout, with most of its 90 million people cut off from the world. And on Friday, the crown prince in exile urged U.S. military intervention. Geoff Bennett discussed the latest with Abbas Milani, director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, and Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
It's been a week since Iran imposed a complete internet blackout, with most of its 90 million people cut off from the world. And on Friday, the crown prince in exile urged U.S. military intervention. Geoff Bennett discussed the latest with Abbas Milani, director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, and Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
The United States is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, according to a US official, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes.Tehran is seeking to deter US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to intervene on behalf of anti-government protesters.The UN Security Council has been due to meet in Iran today at the request of the United States.Ali Ansari is Professor of Iranian History & Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. He joins Ciara to discuss.Image: Reuters
Fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C., and holding a PhD in Iranian Studies from the University of St. Andrews, Nazee Moinian is an Iranian-born woman with many connections to the country. She discusses the ongoing protests and violent crackdown by the Iranian regime against civilians demanding freedom. Nazee also examines the possibility that the U.S. Government could step in, siding with the Iranian people, to help facilitate the downfall of the regime. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Widespread unrest, killings and arrests in Iran during protests sparked by a collapse in the local currency. The leadership says it will listen to demonstrators but rioters face the death penalty. As the US warns against a crackdown, how volatile is the situation? In this episode: Mehran Kamrava, Head, Iranian Studies, Arab Center for Policy Studies and Research. Roxane Farmanfarmaian, Professor, Modern Middle East Politics, University of Cambridge. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Dr. Abbas Milani, research Fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution and Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, joined the Guy Benson Show today to discuss the massive ongoing protests in Iran and the potential for an Iranian revolution against the Ayatollah. Listen below for the wide ranging conversation with Dr. Milani. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As the year wraps up, we're looking back at 10 of the episodes that defined our year at The Take. This originally aired on June 24, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references have been changed. Israel claims Iran is closer than ever to building a nuclear weapon. But as it targets Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his nation’s attacks will also “liberate” Iranians. In a civilization shaped by millennia of empire and resistance, those words land differently. What does liberation mean to Iranians as the US and Israel call for regime change? In this episode: Hamid Dabashi (@dabashihamid), Professor of Iranian Studies, Columbia University Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Sonia Bhagat, and Haleema Shah, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Ashish Malhotra, Tamara Khandaker, Mariana Navarrete, and our host, Manuel Rápalo. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and Noor Wazwaz. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Join Dr. Ali Ansari, Professor of Iranian History and Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and Hoover Senior Fellow H.R. McMaster, as they examine the nature of the Islamic Republic, Western misunderstandings about the regime and why engagement strategies have repeatedly failed, and the widening gap between the regime's propagandized image of strength and the vulnerabilities revealed in recent conflicts. Drawing on recent events, including the 12-day Israeli campaign exposing profound intelligence and air-defense failures, Ansari examines the IRGC's struggles to reconstitute its terrorist and militia proxies in the region while confronting severe financial and economic crises at home, including shortages of electricity and a growing water crisis in the capital city of Tehran. Despite these mounting pressures, Ansari reflects on Iran's potential futures, from the emergence of new leadership to the enduring resilience of the Iranian people. For more conversations from world leaders from key countries, subscribe to receive instant notification of the next episode. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Ali Ansari is a Professor of Iranian History, the Founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, and a Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. As a leading historian of modern Iran, Dr. Ansari combines archival research with a deep understanding of Iranian political culture and nationalism. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and President of the British Institute of Persian Studies. His books include Modern Iran since 1797 and Confronting Iran. H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.
The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory
The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies
The dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through literature. Contrary to the presumption that literary nationalism in the Global South emerged through contact with Europe alone, Reading Across Borders: Afghans, Iranians, and Literary Nationalism (University of Texas Press, 2024) demonstrates how the cultural forms of Iran and Afghanistan as nation-states arose from their shared Persian heritage and cross-cultural exchange in the twentieth century. In this book, Aria Fani charts the individuals, institutions, and conversations that made this exchange possible, detailing the dynamic and interconnected ways Afghans and Iranians invented their modern selves through new ideas about literature. Fani illustrates how voluntary and state-funded associations of readers helped formulate and propagate "literature" as a recognizable notion, adapting and changing Persian concepts to fit this modern idea. Focusing on early twentieth-century periodicals with readers in Afghan and Iranian cities and their diaspora, Fani exposes how nationalism intensified—rather than severed—cultural contact among two Persian-speaking societies amidst the diverging and competing demands of their respective nation-states. This interconnected history was ultimately forgotten, shaping many of the cultural disputes between Iran and Afghanistan today. Aria Fani is an associate professor and director of Persian and Iranian Studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. He serves as the current deputy editor of Iranian Studies and is a co-investigator of the Translation Studies Hub at UW. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/a48266/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies
Dr. Abbas Milani, Research Fellow and Co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution, as well as the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, joined The Guy Benson Show today to discuss how the Iranian regime has reached one of its weakest points in decades. He explained why Tehran has effectively lost control over its proxy groups, including the Iraqi Shiites, and now faces "enormous" challenges at home. Milani also shared his surprise at how swiftly Hezbollah collapsed after Israel wiped out its leadership and praised Israel's stunning success during its 12-day war with Iran. He noted that this was the very conflict Iran had been "asking for," and yet, it ended in humiliating defeat -- one that has fueled even greater hatred toward the regime among the Iranian people. You can listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
➡️ Watch the full interview ad-free, join a community of geopolitics enthusiasts and gain access to exclusive content on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingGeopolitics➡️ Sign up to my free geopolitics newsletter: https://stationzero.substack.com/This is a conversation with Ali Ansari, a professor and a founding director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews.Professor Ansari has incredible insight and views on Iranian foreign policy, its domestic politics and the future trajectory of the Islamic Republic. And so we talk about how the 12 Day War changed the country, how will Iran change its grand strategy after the approach that it has pursued for three decades seems to have failed, whether it will now race to get a nuclear weapon or why he believes that a fundamental change of the Iranian regime has already started - and why the coming years will see the end of the regime as we know it.
Today on Speaking Out of Place we have a special episode on the war in Iran. Scholars and activists Persis Karim and Manijeh Moradian discuss both the Iranian national issues involved as well as the regional context, connecting this war with the genocide in Gaza and Israel's extensive wars elsewhere. At stake is both Iranian sovereignty and the calls for so-called “regime change.” We question the use of that term, delve into how the struggle for liberation in Iran rejects both the repressive Islamic state and the US/Israeli war machine. Our discussion draws the frightening parallels between Iran's stifling of dissent and imprisonment of political enemies and others with our own government's. Finally, we recall the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and build hope for international solidarity with groups working for liberation in Iran, Palestine, and elsewhere, and insist liberation will never be achieved by dropping bombs. Persis Karim teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature at San Francisco State University. She was the creator and director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies during its entire existence there. Since 1999, she has been actively working to expand the field of Iranian Diaspora Studies, beginning with the first anthology of Iranian writing she co-edited, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans. She is the editor of two other anthologies of Iranian diaspora literature: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora, and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers. Before coming to San Francisco State, she was a professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State where she was the founder and director of the Persian Studies program, and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Minor. She has published numerous articles about Iranian diaspora literature and culture for academic publications including Iranian Studies, Comparative Studies of South Asian, African and Middle East Studies (CSSAMES), and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film project (co-directed and co-produced with Soumyaa Behrens). She received her Master's in Middle East Studies and her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UT Austin. She is also a poet.Manijeh Moradian is assistant professor of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her book, This Flame Within: Iranian Revolutionaries in the United States, was published by Duke University Press in December 2022. She has published widely including in American Quarterly, Journal of Asian American Studies, Scholar & Feminist online, and Women's Studies Quarterly. She is a founding member of the Raha Iranian Feminist Collective and on the editorial board of the Jadaliyya.com Iran Page.
This event celebrated the work of Professor Charles Tripp through a new edited volume by Toby Dodge, Daniel Neep and Ali Ansari. The work of Charles Tripp – professor at SOAS University of London for over three decades – has shaped a distinct approach to the study of Middle East politics: an analytical sensibility that is empirically rich, theoretically insightful, and historically sensitive. This edited volume brings together contributions from ten political scientists and historians from across Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, each of whom takes Tripp's work as the intellectual point of departure for studying politics in the region. Speakers: Ali M. Ansari is Professor of Iranian History and founding Director of the Institute for Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews. Eberhard Kienle is Directeur de recherche (Research Professor) at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in Paris and teaches politics at SciencesPo Paris. Daniel Neep is a political scientist who works on conflict and state-building in the Middle East, with a focus on Syria. Evaleila Pesaran is Senior College Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Murray Edwards College, University of Cambridge.
Turkey has spent weeks walking a diplomatic tightrope, caught between its outrage over Israel's actions and its reluctance to cross the United States. A ceasefire deal brokered by President Donald Trump has given Ankara some breathing room – at least for now. “We welcome the news that an agreement has been reached on the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, which came late last night,” Erdogan said before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague. Israel's war on Iran had put Erdogan in a tricky spot – maintaining his hostility towards Israel without damaging his ties with Trump. On Saturday, Erdogan slammed Israel, calling it a “terrorist state”, while warning that the war on Iran threatened to plunge the region into chaos. The speech, delivered in Istanbul at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, was just the latest in what has become an almost daily verbal assault on Israel. But the United States bombing of Iran just a few hours after Erdogan spoke drew little reaction from Ankara beyond a short statement expressing its “concern” over the attack. Turkey's rivalry with Iran shifts as US threats create unlikely common ground Words versus actions Erdogan's actions have also not always matched his rhetoric.The Turkish leader resisted opposition calls to close the US-operated NATO Kurecik radar base near the Iranian border. “Turkey is not interested once again in going into conflict with America because, if you close Kurecik, then it is a NATO issue, and Israel has close relations also with NATO,” said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. The Kurecik radar station, Bagci said, is important to Israeli security. “Turkey signed the acceptance (agreement) that Israel should take information from Kurecik,” Bagci added. “There is no in an article in the case of war that Turkey would not provide the information. So, this is why Erdogan, based on this fact, is not undertaking any steps against Israel.” Earlier this month, Erdogan lobbied Baghdad not to follow Tehran's calls to intercept Israeli warplanes using Iraqi airspace to strike Iran. All moves that are likely to play well with Trump. Erdogan values what Trump has called a “great friendship”. The two leaders are expected to meet for the first time since Trump's re-election on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, where Erdogan will likely be seeking an invitation to Washington. With Turkey and Iran long-time regional rivals, competing for influence from the Caucasus to Central Asia and the Middle East, Ankara also shares the West's concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme. “Turkey definitely doesn't want a nuclear-armed Iran, because that is going to trigger a proliferation process in the Middle East,” said Serhan Afacan, head of the Center for Iranian Studies, a research organisation in Ankara. Interim president Sharaa weighs up Ankara and Riyadh in power struggle for Syria Refugee fears and regional risks The United States bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities – which Washington claims has ended Tehran's atomic programme – drew no condemnation from Ankara. But the risk of a wider conflict has raised fears of growing instability and the possibility of a refugee wave into Turkey from Iran. Trump's surprise move to broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel will come as a relief to Ankara, said regional expert Professor Zaur Gasimov of the German Academic Exchange Service in Istanbul. He warned the ceasefire came just as signs were emerging of a refugee exodus. “What we see now is already now is the mobility of people within Iran, leaving Tehran and other bigger cities, going to different directions, that is a challenge for the entire region. And maybe Turkey is a country that is about to observe a refugee influx coming from Iran by the border,” said Gasimov. He warned Ankara is likely not prepared for such an exodus. “That is a challenge. So, Turkey is currently observing the situation with great attention, and certain answers to this challenge is not ready yet,” said Gasimov. Azerbaijan and Turkey build bridges amid declining influence of Iran Economic toll Turkey, which borders Iraq and Syria, has struggled for decades with chaos on its southern frontier. It currently hosts as many as five million refugees and has paid a heavy economic price through the loss of valuable regional markets. Ankara will likely be eyeing the potential rewards of a weakened Tehran in the long-running competition for regional influence. “A weak Iran is good for Turkey always, but not a dead Iran,” said Bagci. “Iran is important for connectivity. They [Iran] have many neighbours like Turkey. They are close to Russia, Central Asian republics, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, you name it. And the destabilisation of the region is in nobody's interest. "That is why China and Russia are very careful in their statements, and everybody is trying now for a diplomatic solution.” How long Trump's brokered ceasefire will last remains to be seen. But for Ankara, the hope is that wider regional chaos has been avoided – and that it has managed, at least for now, to balance its competing interests.
President Trump says the conflict between Israel and Iran is over after 12 days. For the US and Israel the declared objective has been to destroy Iran's capacity to make a nuclear bomb, with a side order of regime change if possible. They have damaged Iran's capacity to build nuclear weapons but for how long? And what now is the objective for Iran? To rebuild their nuclear weapons programme? Or just for the regime to stay in power? David Aaronovitch and his guests discuss what's next for Iran.Guests: Dr Patricia Lewis, arms control and nuclear physics expert Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist, Dr Lina Khatib, Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House Professor Ali Ansari, founding director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at St Andrews UniversityPresenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight Sound Engineer: James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Editor: Richard Vadon
Two explosions were heard in the Iranian capital on Tuesday, the judiciary news outlet Mizan and the Shargh newspaper reported, after U.S. President Donald Trump called on Israel not to bomb Iran following a ceasefire reached early on Tuesday.What's next? And what might Iran do?Ali Ansari is the Founding Director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at St Andrews University and joins guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss.
Iran and Israel show no signs of backing down as the conflict continues and more and more civilians get caught in the crossfire. Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University, joins Amna Nawaz to take a closer look at the state of play in the Israel-Iran war. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Iran and Israel show no signs of backing down as the conflict continues and more and more civilians get caught in the crossfire. Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University, joins Amna Nawaz to take a closer look at the state of play in the Israel-Iran war. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders
Last week, the conflict between Israel and Iran came to a head after Israel launched airstrikes attacking the Iranian regime. In a tactical move, they targeted nuclear and military facilities and their leadership. Since then, the two nations have exchanged airstrikes, escalating destruction in both countries. Fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. and holding a PhD in Iranian Studies from the University of St Andrews, Nazee Moinian is an Iranian-born Jewish woman with family and connections on both sides of the conflict. She describes the historical relationship between Iran and Israel and the potential for an Iranian regime change that could alter the country's course. She shares her concern for the current situation and the difficult decision that President Trump is facing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode, we're joined by Arash Ghajarjazi, a scholar of Iranian Studies at Utrecht University and author of the new book, Remembering Khayyam: Episodes of Unbelief in the Reception Histories of Persian Quatrains. We delve into the history of Iran to discuss the long legacy of secular culture by way of the figure of Omar Khayyam, a Persian poet and polymath from the 11th century. There are plenty of surprises along the way as we learn how religious elites leveraged modern technology to monopolize power, the role Victorian love of poetry had on Iranian culture, and how secular monuments continue to inspire and allow protest in a theocratic country. We also learn whether a true atheist can hide their atheism and if it may prove to be an absolute necessity.For more on Arash: www.linkedin.com/in/arash-ghajarjazi-036621176On X: @arashghajarjaziArash's new book, Remembering Khayyam: Episodes of Unbelief in the Reception Histories of Persian Quatrains: https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111626017/htmlAnd the video trailer of the book: https://youtu.be/A7Z4ZtUQlnU?si=NO8nX3eZjBNNqzJdBeyond Sharia project: https://beyondsharia.nl/Register for Nathan Alexander's upcoming webinar (July 8): https://freethinker.co.uk/2025/05/freethought-history-webinar-4-atheism-and-vegetarianism-in-the-19th-and-20th-centuries-a-match-made-in-heaven-with-nathan-alexander-8-july-2025/ Follow Nathan on BlueSky: @nathgalexander.bsky.socialNathan's website: https://www.nathangalexander.com/ Beyond Atheism is produced and distributed by Atheists United Studios: https://www.atheistsunited.org/au-studios
Today on Speaking Out of Place we talk with Professor Persis Karim, co-producer and co-director of a new documentary film, The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life. She is joined by Roya Ahmadi, a student at Stanford who interned at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University and was part of the production team for the film. The film captures the lives of young Iranian-Americans who come to the San Francisco Bay Area around the time of the Iranian Revolution, and find themselves involved with, and helping to shape, a vibrant, international culture of politics and art. We talk about both the similarities and differences between those days and today—especially with regard to diasporic identity formation in different historical times, and the persistent need to resist racism and bigotry and act in solidarity with others. Persis Karim is the director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, where she also teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature. Since 1999, she has been actively working to expand the field of Iranian Diaspora Studies, beginning with the first anthology of Iranian writing she co-edited, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans. She is the editor of two other anthologies of Iranian diaspora literature: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora, and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers. Before coming to San Francisco State, she was a professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State where she was the founder and director of the Persian Studies program, and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Minor. She has published numerous articles about Iranian diaspora literature and culture for academic publications including Iranian Studies, Comparative Studies of South Asian, African and Middle East Studies (CSSAMES), and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film project (co-directed and co-produced with Soumyaa Behrens). She received her Master's in Middle East Studies and her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UT Austin. She is also a poet.Roya Ahmadi is a senior at Stanford University studying Human Biology with a self-designed concentration in Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) Women's Health and a minor in Interdisciplinary Arts. She is interested in Muslim and SWANA women's sexual and reproductive health and culturally/religiously sensitive pregnancy care. Roya is a co-chair for the Stanford Institute for Diversity in the Arts Undergraduate Fellowship and a video and sound installation artist who has presented work in group shows across the US. Roya interned for the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at SFSU for two summers when she was in high school; the Center has had a deep impact on her artwork and her identity as an Iranian-American.Trailer:https://vimeo.com/1002914645
Wildfires continue to rage out of control in Southern California. Tens of thousands of residents have been forced to flee and in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, and more than one thousand structures have been destroyed in Altadena, forcing most of the town to evacuate. Reporter Kyung Lah joins the program with the details. Also on today's show: James Fallows, former chief speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter; Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University; Kai Bird, author of the Jimmy Carter bio "Outlier" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode on Speaking Out of Place podcast Professor David Palumbo-Liu talks with Professor Persis Karim, co-producer and co-director of a new documentary film, The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life. She is joined by Roya Ahmadi, a student at Stanford who interned at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University and was part of the production team for the film. The film captures the lives of young Iranian-Americans who come to the San Francisco Bay Area around the time of the Iranian Revolution, and find themselves involved with, and helping to shape, a vibrant, international culture of politics and art. We talk about both the similarities and differences between those days and today—especially with regard to diasporic identity formation in different historical times, and the persistent need to resist racism and bigotry and act in solidarity with others.Persis Karim is the director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, where she also teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature. Since 1999, she has been actively working to expand the field of Iranian Diaspora Studies, beginning with the first anthology of Iranian writing she co-edited, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans. She is the editor of two other anthologies of Iranian diaspora literature: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora, and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers. Before coming to San Francisco State, she was a professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State where she was the founder and director of the Persian Studies program, and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Minor. She has published numerous articles about Iranian diaspora literature and culture for academic publications including Iranian Studies, Comparative Studies of South Asian, African and Middle East Studies (CSSAMES), and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film project (co-directed and co-produced with Soumyaa Behrens). She received her Master's in Middle East Studies and her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UT Austin. She is also a poet.www.palumbo-liu.comhttps://speakingoutofplace.comBluesky @palumboliu.bsky.socialInstagram @speaking_out_of_place
In this episode on Speaking Out of Place podcast Professor David Palumbo-Liu talks with Professor Persis Karim, co-producer and co-director of a new documentary film, The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life. She is joined by Roya Ahmadi, a student at Stanford who interned at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University and was part of the production team for the film. The film captures the lives of young Iranian-Americans who come to the San Francisco Bay Area around the time of the Iranian Revolution, and find themselves involved with, and helping to shape, a vibrant, international culture of politics and art. We talk about both the similarities and differences between those days and today—especially with regard to diasporic identity formation in different historical times, and the persistent need to resist racism and bigotry and act in solidarity with others.Persis Karim is the director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, where she also teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature. Since 1999, she has been actively working to expand the field of Iranian Diaspora Studies, beginning with the first anthology of Iranian writing she co-edited, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans. She is the editor of two other anthologies of Iranian diaspora literature: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora, and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers. Before coming to San Francisco State, she was a professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State where she was the founder and director of the Persian Studies program, and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Minor. She has published numerous articles about Iranian diaspora literature and culture for academic publications including Iranian Studies, Comparative Studies of South Asian, African and Middle East Studies (CSSAMES), and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film project (co-directed and co-produced with Soumyaa Behrens). She received her Master's in Middle East Studies and her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UT Austin. She is also a poet.www.palumbo-liu.comhttps://speakingoutofplace.comBluesky @palumboliu.bsky.socialInstagram @speaking_out_of_place
In this episode on Speaking Out of Place podcast Professor David Palumbo-Liu talks with Professor Persis Karim, co-producer and co-director of a new documentary film, The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life. She is joined by Roya Ahmadi, a student at Stanford who interned at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University and was part of the production team for the film. The film captures the lives of young Iranian-Americans who come to the San Francisco Bay Area around the time of the Iranian Revolution, and find themselves involved with, and helping to shape, a vibrant, international culture of politics and art. We talk about both the similarities and differences between those days and today—especially with regard to diasporic identity formation in different historical times, and the persistent need to resist racism and bigotry and act in solidarity with others.Persis Karim is the director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, where she also teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature. Since 1999, she has been actively working to expand the field of Iranian Diaspora Studies, beginning with the first anthology of Iranian writing she co-edited, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans. She is the editor of two other anthologies of Iranian diaspora literature: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora, and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers. Before coming to San Francisco State, she was a professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State where she was the founder and director of the Persian Studies program, and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Minor. She has published numerous articles about Iranian diaspora literature and culture for academic publications including Iranian Studies, Comparative Studies of South Asian, African and Middle East Studies (CSSAMES), and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film project (co-directed and co-produced with Soumyaa Behrens). She received her Master's in Middle East Studies and her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UT Austin. She is also a poet.www.palumbo-liu.comhttps://speakingoutofplace.comBluesky @palumboliu.bsky.socialInstagram @speaking_out_of_place
In this episode on Speaking Out of Place podcast Professor David Palumbo-Liu talks with Professor Persis Karim, co-producer and co-director of a new documentary film, The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life. She is joined by Roya Ahmadi, a student at Stanford who interned at the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University and was part of the production team for the film. The film captures the lives of young Iranian-Americans who come to the San Francisco Bay Area around the time of the Iranian Revolution, and find themselves involved with, and helping to shape, a vibrant, international culture of politics and art. We talk about both the similarities and differences between those days and today—especially with regard to diasporic identity formation in different historical times, and the persistent need to resist racism and bigotry and act in solidarity with others.Persis Karim is the director of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies at San Francisco State University, where she also teaches in the Department of Humanities and Comparative and World Literature. Since 1999, she has been actively working to expand the field of Iranian Diaspora Studies, beginning with the first anthology of Iranian writing she co-edited, A World Between: Poems, Short Stories and Essays by Iranian-Americans. She is the editor of two other anthologies of Iranian diaspora literature: Let Me Tell You Where I've Been: New Writing by Women of the Iranian Diaspora, and Tremors: New Fiction by Iranian-American Writers. Before coming to San Francisco State, she was a professor of English & Comparative Literature at San Jose State where she was the founder and director of the Persian Studies program, and coordinator of the Middle East Studies Minor. She has published numerous articles about Iranian diaspora literature and culture for academic publications including Iranian Studies, Comparative Studies of South Asian, African and Middle East Studies (CSSAMES), and MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the United States. “The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life,” is her first film project (co-directed and co-produced with Soumyaa Behrens). She received her Master's in Middle East Studies and her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UT Austin. She is also a poet.www.palumbo-liu.comhttps://speakingoutofplace.comBluesky @palumboliu.bsky.socialInstagram @speaking_out_of_place
Over the past few months, and especially in recent days, we have seen Iran's decades-old proxy system and strategy collapsing. What are Iran's options? To help us understand how Iran is dealing with this crisis, our guest is Raz Zimmt, one of Israel's top experts on Iran. Raz Zimmt is a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and a research fellow at the Center for Iranian Studies at Tel Aviv University. He is the author of the book "Iran From Within: State and Society in the Islamic Republic" published (in Hebrew) in 2022. Recent published pieces by Raz Zimmt discussed in this episode: https://www.inss.org.il/publication/syria-rebels/https://www.inss.org.il/publication/iran-changes/
At the height of literary nationalisms in the twentieth century, leftist internationalists from Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, India, and the Soviet East bonded over their shared love of the classical Persian verses of Hafiz and Khayyam. At writers' congresses and in communist literary journals, they affirmed their friendship and solidarity with lyric ghazals and ruba'iyat. Persianate poetry became the cultural commons for a distinctively Eastern internationalism, shaping national literatures in the Soviet Union, the Middle East, and South Asia. By the early Cold War, the literary entanglement between Persianate culture and communism had established models for cultural decolonization that would ultimately outlast the Soviet imperial project. In the archive of literature produced under communism in Persian, Tajik, Dari, Turkish, Uzbek, Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian, this book finds a vital alternative to Western globalized world literature. Samuel Hodgkin is Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature at Yale University. His articles have appeared in Comparative Literature Studies, Iranian Studies, Philological Encounters, Cahiers de Studia Iranica, and Cahiers d'Asie centrale. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
After a week of drastic escalation in the conflict in the Middle East, what will come next? Recording on October 1st just as reports emerged from the US warning of the Iranian missile attack on Israel, Gavin Esler spoke to Professor Ali Ansari, founding director of the Institute of Iranian Studies at the University of St Andrews, to discuss Iran's response to Israel's attacks on Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not a Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Written and presented by Gavin Esler. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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