Perspectives: Iran Past and Present

Avsnitt

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  IRGC and the Death of CIA’s “Ayatollah Mike” 30.09.2026 3min

  On 3 Jan 2020, Trump assassinated Haji Qasem Soleimani. On 27 Jan 2020, CIA’s Iran Mission chief Michael D’Andrea—‘Ayatollah Mike’—died when his USAF Bombardier E-11A jet was downed in Afghanistan. Was the jet shot down by IRGC? CIA claims he retired. IRGC named its ‘Missile 358’ after the jet’s tail number.
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  Social-Economic Renaissance in Mongol Iran 23.09.2026 1h 8min

  This episode explores Shivan Mahendrarajah’s A History of Herat: From Chingiz Khan to Tamerlane (Edinburgh University Press, 2022), tracing the city’s transformation from its destruction under Chingiz Khan in 1222 to its capitulation to Tamerlane in 1381. Despite this violent history, Herat rose to become a major political, cultural, and economic center of the eastern Islamic world. Note: Herat is located in present-day Afghanistan, a country whose borders were drawn by British imperial powers in the 19th century.
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  Saudi-Yemen War: Iran and Houthis Defeat the US 16.09.2026 3min

  Saudi Arabia reignited its war on Yemen’s Ansarallah (“Houthis”) on 13 July, deploying mercenary forces and expecting a quick win. Instead, Ansarallah went on the offensive, striking Saudi military bases and oil infrastructure, including the East-West pipeline. By September 11, they’d captured Yemen’s west coast and key Red Sea islands, securing fire-control over the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint. Episode examines how the war became a strategic defeat for Saudi Arabia and the US, and a win for Iran.
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  25 Years After 9/11: The Saudi-Wahhabi Doctrine Behind the Taliban and al-Qaeda 11.09.2026 22min

  How Saudi Wahhabism forged the Taliban and al-Qaeda: this 9/11 anniversary special traces extremist ideology from 18th-century Arabia to Saudi-funded madrasas on the Afghan-Pakistan border, and its role in the Taliban’s war against Kabul and the US.
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  The Jews of Iran 01.09.2026 3min

  Iranian Jews represent the oldest continuous Jewish community in the Middle East. They have a 3,000-year history that predates and belies Israeli narratives. Iran’s Jewish community is anti-Zionist and patriotic; they challenge Western assumptions and propaganda by thriving in Iran. Iran’s Jewish community is explored in the independent documentary, “Uncaptured: Jews in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
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  Mary Renault, Iran, and the Alexander Trilogy 24.08.2026 4min

  Mary Renault is lauded as a groundbreaking LGBT authoress, but this detracts from her brilliance as a historian of ancient Greece and Iran. She masterfully weaves history, geography, and Greek literature with fiction to depict the life of Alexander the Great. Her “Persian Boy” was my introduction to Iran.
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  Iran’s Nuclear Ambiguity and Trump’s “Pickaxe Mountain” Pickle 19.08.2026

  US and Israel handed Tehran the precious gift of nuclear ambiguity. Before 13 June 2025, Iran had the most open nuclear program in the world; today, the most opaque program. 440.9kg of 60% “highly-enriched uranium” survives at scattered sites; there is no single target for Special Forces or USAF to strike. The hoopla about “Pickaxe … Continue reading Iran’s Nuclear Ambiguity and Trump’s “Pickaxe Mountain” Pickle →
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  How the Taliban Defeated the Pentagon’s “Best and Brightest” 14.08.2026

  Sat., 15-Aug-26, is the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s victory over the US. In a 20-minute podcast, two discussants analyze the intellectual failures that led to the US’s strategic defeat. It is based on Shivan Mahendrarajah’s article in “Small Wars & Insurgencies,” and “is a scathing indictment of Generals Petraeus, McChrystal, et al., who brought … Continue reading How the Taliban Defeated the Pentagon’s “Best and Brightest” →
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  Iran’s Impenetrable Underground Bases 12.08.2026

  “The Iranian missile cities the US could not destroy” by the Financial Times caused a stir, but Iran specialists knew that underground bases were selected for their geography and geology. They are impregnable. Evidence and analysis in the essay.
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  “China’s Eyes, Iran’s Fist”: PLA’s Satellites Help IRGC to Close the “Kill Chain” 08.08.2026

  China’s satellite network provides Iran with 24/7/365 coverage and real-time updates: SIGINT, terrain mapping, telemetry; radar, optical, and infrared all-weather, day & night imaging, allowing Iran to precisely strike Israeli and U.S. targets. Details in the essay.
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  US Army’s Debacle in the Iranian Desert 07.08.2026

  Trump’s Gamble. On Easter Weekend, 4–5 April, US Special Forces suffered a debacle near the nuclear site in Isfahan. Trump’s social media meltdown was because the plan to seize Iran’s enriched uranium failed. The “pilot rescue” story is false. Read the essay at my website.
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  A Sunni Community Thrives in Shia Iran 06.08.2026

  Shivan Mahendrarajah’s book, The Sufi Saint of Jam: History, Religion, and Politics of a Sunni Shrine in Shi‘i Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2021) explores the history, religion, politics, and architecture of Ahmad-i-Jam’s shrine, located in eastern Iran. Sunni shrine and community have thrived for over 900 years. This is of particular relevance given prevailing assumptions about Iran’s … Continue reading A Sunni Community Thrives in Shia Iran →
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  Iran War: Failures in US Generalship 04.08.2026

  Podcast of essay published this day. Essay has details, links, and images