Narges Bajoghli, an expert on Iranian politics from Johns Hopkins University, and Robert Malley, a Yale visiting professor and former lead US negotiator on Iran, discuss the recent conflict initiated by Israel. They delve into the Iranian regime's narrative post-war, contrasting public reactions to Israeli airstrikes, and the implications for national identity. The conversation highlights the complex dynamics of Iran’s nuclear ambitions amidst geopolitical tensions, addressing the U.S.'s historical role and the inconsistent international perspectives on nuclear issues.
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insights INSIGHT
Nationalism Unites Iranians Amid Attacks
The Iranian regime leverages nationalism to unite citizens during the Israeli attacks, prioritizing homeland defense over regime loyalty.
Attacks like the bombing of civilian areas and Evin prison sparked fear and nationalist unity rather than encouraging dissent.
insights INSIGHT
Iran's Nuclear Program Roots
Iran's nuclear program arose during the Iran-Iraq war as a strategic deterrent and bargaining chip amid sanctions.
Domestically, nuclear energy symbolizes national pride and technological progress rather than weapon development.
insights INSIGHT
War Fosters Iranian National Unity
In Iranian culture, history of foreign invasions fuels a deep-seated wariness and desire to protect the homeland.
Despite internal opposition, many Iranians support the regime as the sole defender against these external threats.
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This book takes the reader on a journey of directional discovery, exploring how different societies have understood and defined the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west) in various ways based on their locations in time and space. Jerry Brotton reveals why Hebrew culture privileges east, why Renaissance Europeans began drawing north at the top of their maps, why early Islam revered the south, and why the Aztecs used five color-coded cardinal directions. The book also examines how these directions have taken on cultural and geopolitical significance, and how modern technology has altered our relationship with these cardinal points.
Iran Reframed
Iran Reframed
of Power in the Islamic Republic
Nargis Bajoli
Nargis Bajoli's 'Iran Reframed' explores the intricate dynamics between media and power within the Islamic Republic of Iran. The book delves into the regime's cultural production through comprehensive research involving numerous media professionals in Iran. It examines how these cultural producers navigate and shape the narrative landscape in the country. By focusing on the interactions between media and political authority, the book provides insights into the mechanisms of control and influence within the Iranian context. The study sheds light on the cultural and ideological underpinnings that define the Islamic Republic's public image and internal operations.
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Tomorrow is Yesterday
Life, Death, and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel, Palestine
Hussein Agha
Robert Malley
'Tomorrow Is Yesterday' by Hussein Agha and Robert Malley offers a critical examination of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the history of failed peacemaking efforts. The book challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that the U.S. and other international actors have fundamentally misunderstood the conflict's dynamics. Agha and Malley provide new perspectives on the obstacles to peace, the roles of key players, and the underlying issues that perpetuate the conflict. By analyzing past failures, they seek to offer fresh insights into the possibilities for a more sustainable and just future for both Israelis and Palestinians. This book provides a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate on how to achieve peace in the region.
Iran’s supreme leader recently claimed victory, simply by reason of survival, in the war launched by Israel on 13 June, and joined a week later by the United States. With the twelve-day conflict apparently over, Adam Shatz talks to Narges Bajoghli, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Robert Malley, a former lead negotiator for the US in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, about why the war came about and what it means for the region. With Bajoghli, Adam looks at the way the war has been seen by the regime’s supporters and detractors, and the effects on the Iranian population of Israel’s widespread infiltration of the country. With Malley, he considers the events that paved the way for Israel’s attack and why America’s bombing of the nuclear facility at Fordow will probably not spur Iran to accelerate its nuclear programme.
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