How A TV Channel Drove The Iran War (S01E115)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit borzou.substack.comFriday, July 24, 2026, ChicagoScholar Nahid Siamdoust joins badlands to disuss her new article for The New York Review of Books in which she explores how the Saudi-financed and Israeli-controlled satellite news channel Iran International shaped opinons of the war in both Iran and the diaspora, spewing a distorted vision of the conflict, peddling racist notions about Iranian identity, and artificially boosting support for exiled Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi.I also discuss the lingering controversy over the number of deaths in Iran’s January protests, and how the inflated and seemingly arbitrary numbers flung about by the rightwing operatives actually dehumanize Iranians and prepare the grounds for civilian warfare.Plus, I offer my assessment on the latest diplomatic maneuvers and the White House’s mentality in an interview with India’s NewsX World.badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.