Iran Pt. 1: A Socialist Introduction w/ Séamus Malekafzali [BONUS]

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Jun 22, 2025

Join Séamus Malekafzali, a freelance journalist with deep insights into the Middle East, as he sheds light on Iran’s complex history. He dives into the fallout of the 1953 coup and the impacts of foreign interventions on Iranian sovereignty. The discussion spans the Shah's oppressive regime, the Islamic Revolution, and the nuances of Iranian identity post-1979. Malekafzali also critiques current geopolitical dynamics and the harsh effects of sanctions, revealing the often-misunderstood sentiments of the Iranian people.

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INSIGHT

Iran's Foreign-Dominated Modern History

Iran's modern history is shaped by foreign domination from Russia, Britain, and later the U.S., causing push-pull struggles for sovereignty.
The Pahlavi dynasty, installed by foreign powers, modernized Iran but led to massive repression and inequality.

INSIGHT

Pahlavi Regime's Harsh Reality

The Shah's regime glamorized Western cultural elements but failed to improve majority Iranians' lives and rights.
Severe wealth inequality, repression, and feared secret police defined his unpopular rule despite diaspora nostalgia.

INSIGHT

1979 Revolution's Diverse Coalition

The 1979 revolution united varied factions due to shared opposition to the Shah’s regime and its foreign backers.
Islamic groups were better organized, overshadowing leftist groups, leading to the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

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As seems to be the case with most of the countries that the United States goes to war with—much of the population here doesn’t know very much about those countries. And what they do know is usually Western propaganda, misinformation, or outright lies. This couldn’t be more true with Iran, where if it were up to our political leaders and corporate media, the story that Iran was a perfectly happy democracy that was abruptly and rudely destroyed by a rabid and power hungry group of Ayatollahs would never go unquestioned. They certainly wouldn’t want you to know about the Western backed coup of a left-leaning government in 1953, or that Iran suffered greatly during the Shah’s reign. But that’s why we’re here today—to help combat some of that propaganda, dispel some of those myths, and hopefully to provide a dose of reality to a nation whose war drums never cease to beat. And we’ve brought on a terrific guest to help us do it.

Séamus Malekafzali is a freelance journalist whose work focuses on the Middle East and Global South.

In this episode, Part 1 of our new series on Iran, we give a potted history of Iran from the colonial period up to the present, introducing the Pahlavi dynasty, touching on important events like the rise of Mohammad Mosaddeq and the attempt to nationalize Iran’s oil industry which was sabotaged by Western powers. We explore the rise of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the repressive regime he led as a Western puppet. We talk about the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the role Iran now plays as a leading state in the Axis of Resistance against US hegemony. And, of course, we talk about the ongoing war being waged against Iran by the United States and its proxy, Israel and explore the regional and global implications.

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