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PODCAST

Iran Explained

This is an independent, non-partisan podcast for discussing Iran-related topics, hosted by Saman Askari, an Iranian-American professional from the San Francisco Bay Area.

news news commentary

All Episodes

40:43

The Latest on the Iran War with Hamidreza Azizi

Iran Explained ·

2026/04/07

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Saman Askari speaks with Dr. Hamidreza Azizi, a Visiting Fellow at SWP Berlin and one of the most closely followed analysts of the Iran war, about where the conflict stands on Day 38. The conversation covers how the Islamic Republic has proven more resilient than the U.S. and Israel anticipated, what lessons the regime drew from the 12-day war last year, and why Trump's unpredictability may be undermining rather than strengthening American leverage. Azi...

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8:30

Thoughts on Foreign Intervention in Iran

Iran Explained ·

2026/02/12

Send a text In this episode, Saman Askari reads his latest Substack essay on how Iran’s crisis is being misframed through debates about foreign intervention. The piece centers the mass killing of unarmed protesters by the Islamic Republic and argues that much Western commentary has obscured that reality by prioritizing abstract geopolitical narratives over the lived experience of repression inside Iran. Drawing on Iran’s history and comparative cases elsewhere, the episode explores why skepti...

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9:46

Thoughts on the Iranian Opposition

Iran Explained ·

2026/02/07

Send us a text On this episode, Saman Askari reads a piece he wrote on his Substack called Iran’s Radicalized Opposition and the Cycle of Ruin. The essay examines the current state of the Iranian opposition in light of the recent regime crackdown and growing fears of war. It traces how the trauma of what has happened recently has reshaped opposition discourse, fueling polarization, purity tests, and the concentration of authority around individuals rather than institutions. The piece argues t...

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7:12

Thoughts on the Current Iranian Uprising

Iran Explained ·

2026/01/15

Send us a text This is a brief emergency episode where Saman Askari shares his thoughts on the current situation in Iran. He does an examination of the desperation behind the protests, the limits of outside intervention, and the hard realities facing the opposition. This episode looks at what happens when a population no longer sees a future within the system it is living under. Support the show

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28:45

1979: The Revolution

Iran Explained ·

2025/10/28

Send us a text In 1979, Iran underwent one of the 20th century’s most consequential revolutions. What began as a wave of protests against a monarchy transformed the country into an Islamic Republic that would reshape its identity and place in the world. In this episode, Saman Askari traces the arc of power, from the rise of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to the return of Ruhollah Khomeini, and unpacks the forces that fueled the uprising: rapid modernization, political repression, cultural tension, and...

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25:26

Cyrus the Great: The Man Behind the Legend

Iran Explained ·

2025/09/29

After a long hiatus, Talk Iran is back. In this new episode, Saman Askari takes us on a deep dive into the life and legacy of Cyrus the Great—the founder of the Persian Empire. He explores his rise, his wars against Croesus of Lydia and Babylon, the famous Cyrus Cylinder, and the myths that surround him. Was he truly the world’s first champion of human rights—or is that a modern projection onto an ancient conqueror? This is the paradox of Cyrus: ruthless conqueror, pragmatic ruler, and enduri...

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46:34

A Conversation with John Ghazvinian

Iran Explained ·

2023/03/30

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73:51

Another Conversation with Amir Afkhami - COVID-19...

Iran Explained ·

2020/04/18

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62:02

A Conversation with Afshon Ostovar

Iran Explained ·

2020/01/26

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50:07

A Conversation with Naz Deravian

Iran Explained ·

2019/11/23

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58:09

A Coversation with Amir Afkhami

Iran Explained ·

2019/08/18

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43:47

A Conversation with Narges Bajoghli

Iran Explained ·

2019/07/04

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48:34

A Conversation with Reza Zia-Ebrahimi

Iran Explained ·

2019/04/21

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1:17

End of Season 1 Update

Iran Explained ·

2019/03/09

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30:59

A Conversation with Lior Sternfeld

Iran Explained ·

2019/01/07

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51:45

A Conversation with Bahman Kalbasi

Iran Explained ·

2018/12/07

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30:59

A Conversation with Anna Eskamani

Iran Explained ·

2018/11/27

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59:23

A Conversation with Yara Elmjouie

Iran Explained ·

2018/11/24

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85:55

A Conversation with Armin Navabi

Iran Explained ·

2018/11/13

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79:55

A Conversation with Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi

Iran Explained ·

2018/10/28

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32 results

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