Iran

Podcasts

A State Within the State: Lessons from Iran and Beyond

In this special-series podcast with Saeid Golkar, we discuss his latest essay “Why IRGC is the war’s Biggest Winner” published in the Jully issue of the Journal of Democracy. Professor Golkar argues that Iran’s wars, security crises, and political upheavals have gradually transformed the IRGC from a revolutionary militia into a powerful institution that increasingly functions as a “state within the state.”

3.09.2026

Podcasts

Carceral Politics: “Public Life” of Prisons in Modern Iran and Beyond

In this latest conversation with Golnar Nikpour, we discuss her book, The Incarcerated Modern: Prisons and Public Life in Iran (Stanford University Press, 2024). We discuss how modern Iranian prisons illuminate broader questions about political modernity, state formation, and democratic aspiration.

18.12.2025

After the Election in Iran: What to Expect From the New President?

Luíza Cerioli analyses the situation of Iran after the presidential elections, focusing on the international consequences of this choice.

30.07.2021