Author Archives: iPouya

The Transnational Legacy of the Iranian Revolution on its 40th Anniversary

My latest piece in The Fletcher Forum of International Affairs: “The 40th anniversary of the Iranian Revolution is upon us, and supporters and detractors alike are busying themselves with articles that expound their worldviews. What is lost in the cacophony … Continue reading

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Georgetown University Talk: “Islam as a Discourse of Resistance in Iran: State Ideology vs Popular Protest in 2009”

Excuse the typos in the flier (I did not create the flier).

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Explaining Sectarianism Conference at Tufts University

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Association for Iranian Studies Conference at UC Irvine

I have since shortened the title of my presentation to “The Iranian Left’s Latin Roots: Protest and Protest Music.” Click here for the program.

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“The Roots of US-Iran Antagonisms via the History of Democracy in Modern Iran”

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“The Genealogy of Protest in Iran: Lessons from History”

My latest piece in The Fletcher Forum of International Affairs: “The United States would be wise to heed the lessons of history and let Iranians determine their own fate as any further intervention—whether soft or hard—could easily derail Iran’s organic … Continue reading

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“Iran Among the Ruins: Tehran’s Advantage in a Turbulent Middle East”

Dean Vali Nasr in Foreign Affairs: “Some observers see Iran today, with its use of militias and insurgents abroad, as the United States saw the Soviet Union or China at the height of its revolutionary fervor—as a power intent on using … Continue reading

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“A somber revolutionary anniversary in Iran”

AlJazeera: “According to an official poll, the underlying causes of the widespread discontent in the recent protests were social and political. The head of Strategic Analysis Centre, Hessamudin Ashna, said that the polls show 60 percent of the population want reform but … Continue reading

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“Israel’s ‘Safe Zone’ Is Creeping Farther Into Syria”

The Intercept: “The safe zone appears intended to keep the Syrian army and its Iranian and Lebanese allies as far away from Israel’s border as possible, as well as solidify Israel’s control over the occupied Golan Heights. Israel seized the … Continue reading

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“The Fire That Fueled the Iran Protests”

Prof Asef Bayat in The Atlantic: “How do we explain the eruption? Among the numerous observations, two broad explanations stand out. The first views the unrest as a prelude to a revolution. The other understands it as an example of … Continue reading

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“Iranian opposition cleric accuses Khamenei of abuse of power”

Reuters: “‘You have been Iran’s top leader for three decades, but still speak like an opposition,’ Karroubi said in an open letter to Khamenei published on Saham News, the official website of his reformist political party.”

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“Rouhani moves to leverage unrest to loosen IRGC grip on economy”

Al-Monitor: “In the aftermath of the recent protests in Iran, public announcements about a concerted effort to get the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian army (Artesh) to divest from the economy seem to signal that President Hassan Rouhani … Continue reading

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“US and Saudi Arabia arms significantly enhanced Isis’ military capabilities, report reveals”

The Independent: “An extensive field investigation into the origins of Isis’ weaponry in Syria and Iraq has found that weapons supplied by the US and Saudi Arabia to the Syrian opposition often ended up in the jihadis’ hands, enhancing the … Continue reading

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“Trump Admin Commits to Forever War in Syria against Iran”

Informed Comment: “Since the al-Assad regime has won the civil war, it does not feel it needs to make a grand political compromise with the rebels, who only have three significant pockets of resistance left: Idlib Province in the north, … Continue reading

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“How years of increasing labor unrest signaled Iran’s latest protest wave”

Washington Post: “Beginning on Dec. 28, a wave of protests surged across Iran, with at least 75 cities reportedly experiencing one or more demonstrations in the first week. Soon after they began, commentators rushed to attribute the protests to various … Continue reading

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