The Iran Podcast

Negar Mortazavi speaks to Laura Rozen, journalist and member of the editorial board of Just Security, about the status of nuclear negotiations in Vienna and the past decade of diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.

Negar Mortazavi speaks to Peyman Jafari, a historian at Princeton University, about recent strikes by oil and petrochemical workers across Iran, and the history of Iran’s labor movement from the Constitutional Revolution to the present.

Negar Mortazavi speaks to Reza Sayah, journalist and filmmaker in Tehran, about Iran’s presidential elections, where the country will go under Raisi, and the fate of the nuclear deal and Iran’s engagement with the West.

The June 18th presidential election will bring significant changes for Iran and its relations with the West. With a hardliner taking power in August, questions remain: Will Ebrahim Raisi change Iran’s foreign and domestic policies? What will be the prospects for continued engagement between Iran and the West? This is a special episode of the Iran Podcast recorded during a panel discussion featuring Negar Mortazavi, Bijan Khajehpour, Shervin Malekzadeh, and Sina Toossi, moderated by Sanam Shantyaei of France24 and hosted by the National Iranian American Council.

This is a special episode about Iran’s presidential election. It was recorded at a panel discussion hosted by Friends of Europe, with two Iran experts Azadeh Zamirirad and Rouzbeh Parsi, and moderated by Negar Mortazavi.

Negar Mortazavi speaks to Rouzbeh Parsi about the significance of Iran’s upcoming presidential election, deep voter apathy and frustration, and why the hardline candidate Ebrahim Raisi should thank Donald Trump if he wins the election. (Music by 127 - Design by Mina Jafari)

Negar Mortazavi speaks to Nazanin's husband Richard Ratcliffe, and their member of parliament Tulip Siddiq, about Nazanin's five-year detention in Iran, the pattern of hostage diplomacy by the Iranian government, the UK's £400m tank debt to Iran, and a family's years-long fight for freedom. (Music by 127 Band - Design by Mina Jafari) 

Negar Mortazavi talks to Tyler Cullis about four decades of U.S. sanctions on Iran, the effectiveness of this policy tool, the human cost of sanctions, and how the Iranian-Americna community and the civil society have been pushing back against sanctions.

Negar Mortazavi talks to Sina Toosi about the upcoming presidential election in Iran, the mass disqualification of moderate and reformist candidates, and how the hardliner Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi is seen as the candidate set to win the race.

Negar Mortazavi speaks to comedian Maz Jobrani about comedy in the Covid19 era, being an immigrant in America and a Middle Easterner in Hollywood, and how Maz lost some friends and fans in the Trump era.