EPISODE · Jul 2, 2025 · 1H
S2E8 | Kings and Ayatollahs: Iran's National Security
from Scholars Unravel Middle East · host Adel Aali, History Behind News Program
Alone in the Middle East! Imperial Iran… Safavids, Qajars, and even the Pahlavis - alone in the Middle East. And then, the Ayatollahs. Again, Iran alone in the Middle East.🚩In this interview: ►What is it about Iran and its history that separates it from the rest of the Middle East? ►Who was Reza Shah and why is he so important to Iran's modern history? ►What was the last Shah's primary national security fear? ►Have the Ayatollahs continued the Pahlavis' national security strategies? ►If not, in what respects are the Ayatollahs' national security strategies different than the Pahlavis'? ►If so, in what way are they similar? ►What is forward defense? ►What is scared defense? ►What was the Shah's green plan? 🚩About My Guest Scholar:Dr. Vali Nasr is a professor and former dean of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where he is now the co-director of the SAIS Rethinking Iran Initiative. Dr. Nasr has advised world leaders, business leaders, and senior American policymakers, including the U.S. President, Secretary of State, senior members of Congress, and presidential campaigns. In this interview, we discuss his latest book, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History. 🚩My Recommendations: ►2003 and Iran-US Failed Diplomacy: a discussion of Dr. Nasr's The Dispensable Nation - American Foreign Policy in Retreat ►How U.S. Sanctions On Iran Backfired On America: a discussion of Dr. Nasr's How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare►Ayatollahs of Iran: Dr. Nasr explains Iran's Byzantine government structure►History of Hijab in Iran: a conversation with Dr. Janet AfaryI hope you enjoy these episodes. Adel Aali Support My Program: I rely on your support to continue this program. So thank you in advance. 🎶Music attributions: 1. Opening and closing music of the program: Santur: Peyman Heydarian playing on the Santur some Iranian music. Recorded with a Sony PCM-D50 at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London on April 7th 2011. Music available on at https://freesound.org/people/xserra/sounds/125654/Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0 DEED) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This music has been cut in shorter pieces and its volume has been adjusted in different portions of our program. 2. Background music to guest introduction: The Desert | The Grand Scorehttps://www.free-stock-music.com/alexander-nakarada-the-desert.htmlThe Desert | The Grand Score by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The volume and lengths of this piece have been modified. 3. Background music to promoting History Behind News episodes: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon. Musicpromoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The volume and lengths of this piece have been modified.
What this episode covers
Alone in the Middle East! Imperial Iran… Safavids, Qajars, and even the Pahlavis - alone in the Middle East. And then, the Ayatollahs. Again, Iran alone in the Middle East.🚩In this interview: ►What is it about Iran and its history that separates it from the rest of the Middle East? ►Who was Reza Shah and why is he so important to Iran's modern history? ►What was the last Shah's primary national security fear? ►Have the Ayatollahs continued the Pahlavis' national security strategies? ►If not, in what respects are the Ayatollahs' national security strategies different than the Pahlavis'? ►If so, in what way are they similar? ►What is forward defense? ►What is scared defense? ►What was the Shah's green plan? 🚩About My Guest Scholar:Dr. Vali Nasr is a professor and former dean of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where he is now the co-director of the SAIS Rethinking Iran Initiative. Dr. Nasr has advised world leaders, business leaders, and senior American policymakers, including the U.S. President, Secretary of State, senior members of Congress, and presidential campaigns. In this interview, we discuss his latest book, Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History. 🚩My Recommendations: ►2003 and Iran-US Failed Diplomacy: a discussion of Dr. Nasr's The Dispensable Nation - American Foreign Policy in Retreat ►How U.S. Sanctions On Iran Backfired On America: a discussion of Dr. Nasr's How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare►Ayatollahs of Iran: Dr. Nasr explains Iran's Byzantine government structure►History of Hijab in Iran: a conversation with Dr. Janet AfaryI hope you enjoy these episodes. Adel Aali Support My Program: I rely on your support to continue this program. So thank you in advance. 🎶Music attributions: 1. Opening and closing music of the program: Santur: Peyman Heydarian playing on the Santur some Iranian music. Recorded with a Sony PCM-D50 at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London on April 7th 2011. Music available on at https://freesound.org/people/xserra/sounds/125654/Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0 DEED) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This music has been cut in shorter pieces and its volume has been adjusted in different portions of our program. 2. Background music to guest introduction: The Desert | The Grand Scorehttps://www.free-stock-music.com/alexander-nakarada-the-desert.htmlThe Desert | The Grand Score by Alexander Nakarada (CreatorChords) | https://creatorchords.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/The volume and lengths of this piece have been modified. 3. Background music to promoting History Behind News episodes: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon. Musicpromoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0): https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The volume and lengths of this piece have been modified.
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S2E8 | Kings and Ayatollahs: Iran's National Security
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