Iranian historian and writer Arash Azizi comes on the pod to share his perspective on the Israel-Hamas conflict today — and why he believes ceasefire is the only viable path forward for Israel’s war with Hamas. Along the way, Azizi gives us on an overview of Iran’s politics since the Revolution of 1979 (i.e. how Soleimani became The Shadow Commander) and explains the country’s current stance toward Israel (which stands in contrast to the position of many Iranians). His second book about the country’s recent protest movements — What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom — will be out next year.

On the Agenda:

-Unpacking the Iranian Revolution (and the Left’s participation)

-Arash’s background

-Soleimani’s appeal (How we consolidated supreme power)

-Iran’s stance on Israel vs. Iranians’ sentiments

-Debating ceasefire

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