Shows
The Iran PodcastCan Trump Make a Deal With Tehran?Negar Mortazavi speaks to BBC World about mass protests in Iran, President Trump’s signals on diplomacy and war, and the view in Tehran. Negar Mortazavi is a Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy in Washington DC.
2026-01-2802 min
The Iran PodcastIsrael-Hamas and Iran #3Negar Mortazavi speaks to Matt Duss, Executive Vice President, and Sina Toosi, Senior Fellow, at the Center for International Policy, about the Israel-Hamas war, the Biden administration’s policy, and the role of Iran and its regional allies.
2023-11-2235 minThe Iran PodcastIsrael-Hamas and Iran #2Negar Mortazavi speaks to Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at Georgetown University.
2023-11-1236 minThe Iran PodcastIsrael-Hamas and Iran #1Negar Mortazavi speaks to Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington DC.
2023-11-0726 minThe Iran PodcastThe Battles of the AyatollahNegar Mortazavi speaks with Alex Vatanka about Iran’s domestic politics and mass protests, the crisis of legitimacy and the issue of leadership succession, Tehran’s deescalation with Washington and regional engagement with Arab rivals, and the continuous shift to the East towards Russia and China.
Guest: Alex Vatanka, Director of Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, and author of “The Battle of the Ayatollahs in Iran: The United States, Foreign Policy, and Political Rivalry Since 1979”.
2023-09-3034 minThe Iran PodcastOne Year After Mahsa AminiA year has passed since the death in custody of Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom protests in Iran. This panel discusses the current state of Iran’s domestic dissent, Tehran’s foreign policy and shift to the East, the prisoner swap and nuclear tensions with the US, and Iran’s engagement with its regional rivals. Negar Mortazavi joins Farnaz Fassihi from the New York Times, Kelsey Davenport from the Arms Control Association, Nader Hashemi from Georgetown University, and Barbara Slavin at the Stimson Center in Washington. (More details: www.stimson.org/event/iran-one-year-after-the-death-of-mahsa-amini/)
2023-09-191h 31The Iran PodcastIran, Russia, and Inter-Pariah SolidarityIn this episode we discuss Iran’s shift to the East towards big powers in Asia, mainly Russia and China, and engaging with regional rivals like Saudi Arabia, and most recently joining the BRICS, and what this all means in a shifting global order.
Host Negar Mortazavi speaks to Nicole Grajewsky at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Mathieu Droin at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
2023-09-0625 minThe Iran PodcastUS and Iran Prisoner SwapWashington and Tehran have reached a deal to swap prisoners and unblock Iran’s frozen assets in South Korea. Iran will release a number of American prisoners in exchange for the U.S. releasing a number of Iranian prisoners and unblocking $6 billion of Iranian funds to be used for humanitarian transactions. What does this agreement mean for each side? Will this be a prelude for more deescalation between Iran and the U.S.?
Negar Mortazavi speaks to Stephen Miles, the president of Win Without War, a coalition of organizations that work for a more peaceful and progressive U.S. foreign pol...
2023-08-1728 minThe Iran PodcastThe Islamic Revolutionary GuardsNegar Mortazavi speaks with Annie Tracy Samuel about the history and formation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), the role of the guards after the revolution and during the Iran-Iraq war, and how the group has evolved into a prominent organization today that influences Iran’s foreign and security policies. Our guest is Annie Tracy Samuel, Associate Professor of History at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga who specializes in the modern history of Iran and the Middle East. She is the author of The Unfinished History of the Iran-Iraq War: Faith, Firepower, and Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
2023-08-0342 minThe Iran PodcastMedicine Shortage in IranNegar Mortazavi speaks to Murtaza Hussain, a senior reporter at The Intercept and co-host of the Intercepted podcast, about Biden’s policy towards Iran and how he kept Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions that discourage even legal, humanitarian trade.
2023-07-1536 minThe Iran PodcastIran’s Labor MovementNegar Mortazavi speaks to Zep Kalb at the department of sociology at UCLA about Iran’s labor movement and recent rounds of labor protests, and how the Iranian state relies on labor support, bargains with workers, and responds to labor protests.
The Iran Podcast is fiscally sponsored by the Center for International Policy in Washington.
2023-07-0839 minThe Iran PodcastThe Iranian Economy in 2023Negar Mortazavi speaks to Bijan Khajehpour, a managing partner at EUNEPA based in Vienna and a leading analyst of Iranian political and economic affairs, about the current state of economy in Iran, record inflations, systemic corruption and mismanagement, domestic unrest, and international sanctions, and how they all impact the lives of everyday Iranians.
2023-06-2336 minThe Iran PodcastIran and Saudi ArabiaNegar Mortazavi speaks to Dina Esfandiary, Senior Advisor for Middle East and North Africa at the International Crisis Group, about the new agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia that was brokered by China, Tehran’s shifting regional policy in the Middle East, and its continuous move towards the East and away from the West.
Iran Podcast is fiscally sponsored by the Center for International Policy in Washigton.
2023-06-1534 minThe Iran PodcastEurope and IranNegar Mortazavi speaks to Rouzbeh Parsi, head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs in Stockholm, about Europe-Iran relations in 2023, recent prisoner swaps between the two sides, how Russia’s attack on Ukraine has impacted Europe-Iran ties, and Iran’s continuous shift to the East and away from the West.
2023-06-0935 minThe Iran PodcastUS and Iran, Tension or Diplomacy?Negar Mortazavi speaks to Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and a lecturer in international affairs at George Washington University, about US-Iran tensions, possibilities for nuclear diplomacy and prisoner swaps, Iran’s domestic repression and shift to the East, and a new geo-political landscape in the Middle East.
Iran Podcast is sponsored by the Center for International Policy in Washington.
2023-06-0227 minThe Iran PodcastWoman, Life, FreedomWelcome to the new season of Iran Podcast. In this episode Negar Mortazavi, journalist and Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy, speaks to Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, about the recent mass uprising in Iran that started after the killing of Mahsa Jina Amini in September 2022.
Iran Podcast is sponsored by the Center for International Policy in Washington.
2023-05-2432 min
The Iran PodcastSalman Rushdie and IranNegar Mortazavi speaks to Nader Hashemi, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, about the attack on Salman Rushdie, the Fatwa by Iran, and the response to the Satanic Verses across the Muslim world.
2022-08-2032 min
The Iran PodcastWill Iran Return to the Deal?Negar Mortazavi discussed Iran nuclear negotiations discussion on The Newsmakers with Hassan Ahmadian at Tehran University and Ali Fathollahnejad at the American University of Beirut.
2022-08-1126 min
The Iran PodcastUniversity of Chicago panelNegar Mortazavi joins a panel discussion at the University of Chicago’s Pearson Institute, about Iran’s foreign and domestic policies under the new hardline administration of Ebrahim Raisi, with Mahsa Rouhi, Vali Nasr, Pouya Alimagham and Ali Vaez.
2022-08-051h 01
The Iran PodcastUS-Iran on Talk World RadioNegar Mortazavi joined David Swanson on Talk World Radio to discuss US-Iran relations and the latest in nuclear negotiations. This conversation was recorded on July 26th.
2022-08-0528 min
The Iran PodcastRepresentation of Iranians in Western MediaHow are Iranians represented in Western media and cultural products? Iran Podcast host Negar Mortazavi joins a panel discussion with Assal Rad, Yahya Kamalipour, and Mehran Kamrava hosted by the Iranian Studies Program at the Arab Center.
2022-08-0259 min
The Iran PodcastPress The ButtonNegar Mortazavi joins Tom Collina, policy director at Ploughshares Fund, on “Press The Button” podcast to discuss the future of Iran nuclear negotiations, the current stalemate in Vienna, and prospects for reaching an agreement.
2022-06-2539 min
The Iran PodcastIran and the GCCNegar Mortazavi speaks to Giorgio Cafiero, the CEO of Gulf State Analytics, about Iran’s relations with the GCC, US policy towards the region, the Abraham Accords, and the impact of the Ukraine war on the region.
2022-06-041h 07
The Iran PodcastAfghanistan, Women & PeaceNegar Mortazavi speaks to Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, Director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security at the London School of Economics, about Afghanistan after the US withdrawal and under the Taliban, the fate of women peacemakers who were left behind. Sanam has two decades of experience as a peace strategist working globally on conflicts, crises and violent extremism with a mix of civil society, governments and the UN. She was appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours list for services to International peace building and Women’s Rights.
2022-05-1842 min
The Iran PodcastUS-Iran Tensions and MisperceptionsNegar Mortazavi speaks to John Tirman, Director of MIT Center for International Studies, about four decades of animosity between Iran and the United States, key historical events that have caused the enmity, and how the national narratives of the two countries put them at odds over the decades.
2022-05-0746 min
The Iran PodcastIsraeli-Arab Ties and IranA number of Arab countries have normalized ties with Israel under the 2020 Abraham Accords. Negar Mortazavi joined a panel of experts to discuss Israeli-Arab cooperation, concerns over Iran, and the stalled Palestinian peace process with Omar Baddar, co-host of “This is Palestine” podcast, Paul Salem, President of the Middle East Institute, and Dan Arbell, a 25-year veteran of the Israeli Foreign Service, hosted by Nathan King on CGTN's "The Heat".
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo art by Mina Jafari.
2022-05-0728 min
The Iran PodcastUkraine War & the Middle EastNegar Mortazavi moderates a panel discussion at George Washington University about Russia’s attack on l Ukraine and its implications on the Middle East Security Complex, with Alex Vatanka from MEI, Sina Azodi from GWU and Nicole Grajewski from Harvard.
2022-05-051h 00
The Iran PodcastUkraine, Russia, and Iran TalksNegar Mortazavi speaks to Tom Collina, Policy Director at Ploughshares Fund, about the war in Ukraine, how nuclear weapons enabled Russia’s attack, and why the JCPOA is a good deal.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-04-0540 min
The Iran PodcastThe Nuclear OptionNegar Mortazavi joined Alicia McBride and Jack Gordon on Tacoma Radio to discuss US-Iran diplomacy and nuclear disarmament. The program is called Interfaithish that brings people of different beliefs and cultural backgrounds together to talk about our commonalities and differences.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-04-0258 min
The Iran PodcastBack Home BeerNegar Mortazavi speaks to Zahra Tabatabai, founder and CEO of Back Home Beer, who is brewing beer in New York with flavors from Iran that are inspired by her grandfather’s old recipes. She uses ingredients sourced from the Middle East like Sumac, sour cherries, and a special Persian blue salt that is mined in Iran.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-03-1027 min
The Iran PodcastUkraine, Russian, and IranNegar Mortazavi speaks with Mark Fitzpatrick, former acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non-Proliferation, about Russia’s attack on Ukraine, threats of a nuclear standoff, the Budapest Memorandum, Chernobyl, and the current Iran nuclear talks in Vienna.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-03-0546 min
The Iran PodcastFinal Stage of Nuclear TalksNegar Mortazavi and Tom O’Connor discuss the final stage of the nuclear talks, and the importance of domestic politics in Tehran and Washington, hosted on Twitter Space with host Saeed Azimi.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-02-251h 35
The Iran PodcastDemonizing Iranians (2/2)A conversation about the dehumanization of Iranians in US political discourse, media coverage, and cultural products, and how it leads to bad policies that harm Iranians in Iran as well as Iranian-Americans in the United States. Negar Mortazavi moderated this live conversation on Twitter Space with Assal Rad from NIAC, Niki Akhavan from Catholic University, and Pouya Alimagham from MIT.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-02-1948 min
The Iran PodcastDemonizing Iranians (1/2)A conversation about the dehumanization of Iranians in US political discourse, media coverage, and cultural products, and how it leads to bad policies that harm Iranians in Iran as well as Iranian-Americans in the United States. Negar Mortazavi moderated this live conversation on Twitter Space with Assal Rad from NIAC, Niki Akhavan from Catholic University, and Pouya Alimagham from MIT.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-02-1949 min
The Iran PodcastThe Future of AfghanistanNegar Mortazavi speaks to Vali Nasr, former US advisor for Afghanistan, about the current state of Afghanistan after two decades of invasion and the chaotic US withdrawal, devastating economic sanctions and new waves of refugees, and the future of the country under Taliban rule.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-02-1044 min
The Iran PodcastUS-Iran DiplomacyA conversation about US-Iran relations, nuclear negotiations, the impact of sanctions, and the difficult path ahead for diplomacy. This conversation was recorded live on Twitter Spaces with Trita Parsi from Quincy Institute, Ryan Costello from NIAC, and Sara Haghdoosti from Win Without War, and moderated by Negar Mortazavi.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2022-01-031h 24
The Iran PodcastOn NPR & Democracy Now!Negar Mortazavi talks about the latest developments in the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna in two interviews on NPR and Democracy Now! We also hear a message from our listener & supporter, Justice Arman in Texas.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2021-12-2116 min
The Iran PodcastCan the JCPOA Survive?A discussion about the current nuclear negotiations in Vienna and the future of the Iran nuclear deal, with Negar Mortazavi, Doug Bandow of the Cato Institute, and Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute, moderated by Bruce Fein and hosted by the National Interest Foundation in Washington DC.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2021-12-111h 12
The Iran PodcastIran-Saudi-US RelationsPanel discussion at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor’s School of Public Policy with Negar Mortazavi, John Limbert, Hesham Alghannam, David Des Roches, and moderated by Dania Thafer of the GIF.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2021-12-071h 29
The Iran PodcastAttacks on Female JournalistsNegar Mortazavi joins Angie Seth on Canadian television CTV to discuss racist and misogynistic attacks on female journalists across the world.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2021-11-2619 min
The Iran PodcastActor Arian MoayedNegar Mortazavi speaks to Iranian-American actor Arian Moayed about playing an Iranian billionaire in the television show Succession and other roles in television and theater, growing up in America as an immigrant, and the future of US-Iran relations.
Produced by Joshua Barlow. Music by 127. Logo by Mina Jafari.
To support the Iran Podcast, go to anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2021-11-1957 min
The Iran PodcastIran’s Hostage TakingNegar Mortazavi joins the VOX Media podcast “Today, Explained” to discuss Iran’s detention of dual-national citizens as political pawns, with host Sean Rameshwaram and Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian.
2021-11-0425 min
The Iran PodcastIran-Saudi Relations Panel at Gulf InstituteIran Podcast host Negar Mortazavi joins an expert panel to discuss the future of Iran-Saudi relations. Panel was hosted by the Institute for Gulf Affairs in Washington DC with Barbara Slavin from Atlantic Council, Alex Vatanka from Middle East Institute, Fuad Ibrahim from DAWN, and Annelle Sheline from Quincy Institute.
2021-10-301h 17
The Iran PodcastGender Equality in Middle EastNegar Mortazavi speaks to Azadeh Moaveni, Director of Gender and Conflict at the International Crisis Group, about online threats against female journalists who cover Iran, women’s rights and the golden years of reform, how US policy has impacted Iranian women, and feminist movements across the Middle East.
2021-10-2340 min
The Iran PodcastActor Farshad FarahatNegar Mortazavi speaks to Iranian-American actor, Farshad Farahat, about his career in Hollywood and his political activism in support of peace and diplomacy between Iran and the United States.
2021-10-0841 min
The Iran PodcastFuture of the Nuclear DealNegar Mortazavi joins a panel discussion about the future of the nuclear deal and diplomacy between Tehran and Washington with Sussan Tahmasebi, Director of FEMENA, Jon Wolfstahl, senior advisor at Global Zero, and Eldar Mamedov, foreign policy adviser at the European Parliament. This discussion was moderated by Jamie Shea and hosted by Friends of Europe.
2021-10-021h 03
The Iran PodcastPanel at Arab CenterIran Podcast host, Negar Mortazavi, joins a panel of foreign policy experts at the Arab Center in Washington, discussing US policy towards Iran and the future of the nuclear deal, with Barbara Slavin, Dalia Dassa Kaye, Ilan Goldenberg, and Mehran Kamrava.
2021-09-231h 07
The Iran PodcastEurope-Iran Relations in the Biden EraNegar Mortazavi speaks to Eldar Mamedov, senior foreign policy advisor at the European Parliament, about Europe’s relations with Iran in the Biden era and the negative impacts of Trump’s maximum pressure policy.
2021-09-1645 min
The Iran Podcast‘Spilling Chai’ with NegarIran Podcast host Negar Mortazavi was a guest on another podcast "Spilling Chai" with Anushay Hossain, a journalist and author who is also based in Washington DC. They discussed the complexities of US-Iran relations, Negar's experience as a journalist covering diplomacy between Washington and Tehran, the difficulties of covering Iran from a distance and in exile, online trolling and cyber harassment of female journalists, and the Persian cultural practice of Tarof.
2021-09-0723 min
The Iran PodcastIran’s Future Beyond the HeadlinesIran Podcast's host Negar Mortazavi joins the "Beyond the Headlines" podcast with host Leila Gharagozlou and guest Adnan Tabatabai to discuss Iran's future under the new hardline president Ebrahim Raisi.
2021-08-1417 min
The Iran PodcastIran’s Anti-Revolutionary PolicyNegar Mortazavi speaks to Danny Postel, Assistant Director of the Center for International and Area Studies at Northwestern University, about Iran’s anti-revolutionary policy in the Middle East, specifically looking at the Islamic Republic's role in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.
2021-08-0938 min
The Iran PodcastWater Protests in KhuzestanNegar Mortazavi speaks with Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Assistant Professor of Sociology and International Studies at Boston College, about water protests in Khuzestan province and why there is an ongoing wave of protests across Iran in the past few years.
2021-07-3046 min
The Iran PodcastNuclear Negotiations in ViennaNegar Mortazavi speaks to Laura Rozen, journalist and member of the editorial board of Just Security, about the status of nuclear negotiations in Vienna and the past decade of diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
2021-07-1742 min
The Iran PodcastIran’s Labor MovementNegar Mortazavi speaks to Peyman Jafari, a historian at Princeton University, about recent strikes by oil and petrochemical workers across Iran, and the history of Iran’s labor movement from the Constitutional Revolution to the present.
2021-07-0944 min
The Iran PodcastReporting from TehranNegar Mortazavi speaks to Reza Sayah, journalist and filmmaker in Tehran, about Iran’s presidential elections, where the country will go under Raisi, and the fate of the nuclear deal and Iran’s engagement with the West.
2021-06-2936 min
The Iran PodcastThe Iranian Election: A DebriefThe June 18th presidential election will bring significant changes for Iran and its relations with the West. With a hardliner taking power in August, questions remain: Will Ebrahim Raisi change Iran’s foreign and domestic policies? What will be the prospects for continued engagement between Iran and the West?
This is a special episode of the Iran Podcast recorded during a panel discussion featuring Negar Mortazavi, Bijan Khajehpour, Shervin Malekzadeh, and Sina Toossi, moderated by Sanam Shantyaei of France24 and hosted by the National Iranian American Council.
2021-06-231h 02
The Iran PodcastIran Elections Under MicroscopeThis is a special episode about Iran’s presidential election. It was recorded at a panel discussion hosted by Friends of Europe, with two Iran experts Azadeh Zamirirad and Rouzbeh Parsi, and moderated by Negar Mortazavi.
2021-06-1829 min
The Iran PodcastIran’s Next PresidentNegar Mortazavi speaks to Rouzbeh Parsi about the significance of Iran’s upcoming presidential election, deep voter apathy and frustration, and why the hardline candidate Ebrahim Raisi should thank Donald Trump if he wins the election.
(Music by 127 - Design by Mina Jafari)
2021-06-1737 min
The Iran PodcastNazanin Zaghari-RatcliffeNegar Mortazavi speaks to Nazanin's husband Richard Ratcliffe, and their member of parliament Tulip Siddiq, about Nazanin's five-year detention in Iran, the pattern of hostage diplomacy by the Iranian government, the UK's £400m tank debt to Iran, and a family's years-long fight for freedom.
(Music by 127 Band - Design by Mina Jafari)
2021-06-1138 min
The Iran PodcastFour Decades of SanctionsNegar Mortazavi talks to Tyler Cullis about four decades of U.S. sanctions on Iran, the effectiveness of this policy tool, the human cost of sanctions, and how the Iranian-Americna community and the civil society have been pushing back against sanctions.
2021-06-0554 min
The Iran PodcastIran’s Presidential ElectionNegar Mortazavi talks to Sina Toosi about the upcoming presidential election in Iran, the mass disqualification of moderate and reformist candidates, and how the hardliner Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi is seen as the candidate set to win the race.
2021-05-2837 min
The Iran PodcastComedy and Covid with Maz JobraniNegar Mortazavi speaks to comedian Maz Jobrani about comedy in the Covid19 era, being an immigrant in America and a Middle Easterner in Hollywood, and how Maz lost some friends and fans in the Trump era.
2021-05-2152 min
The Iran PodcastHuman Rights in the Middle EastNegar Mortazavi speaks to Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director of DAWN, about the latest cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, what the United States can do to help improve human rights and peace across the Middle East, and the Biden administration’s policy towards friends and foes in the region.
Iran Podcast is produced by Joshua Barlow. Theme music is by 127. Logo art is by Mina Jafari.
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theiranpodcast/support
2021-05-1533 min
The Iran PodcastWashington’s Problem of Iran ExpertiseNegar Mortazavi speaks to political anthropologist Negar Razavi about the systemic problem of “Iran expertise” in Washington, how the U.S. foreign policy establishment has created a culture of expert impunity when it comes to Iran, the role of these experts and think tanks in shaping U.S. policies, and why those who provide nuance on Iran are constantly attacked and smeared.
2021-05-071h 01
The Iran PodcastFeatured on Foreign Policy MagazineForeign Policy magazine has a podcast called Foreign Policy Playlist, which picks the best podcasts from around the world and introduces them to their listeners. And our Iran Podcast was recently featured on Foreign Policy Playlist. Jonathan Tepperman, Editor at Large of Foreign Policy, talked to Negar Mortazavi about the Iran Podcast, then played one of our episodes: The Ayatollahs No Longer Differ, a conversation with Hooman Majd.
2021-04-3053 min
The Iran PodcastCongressman Ro Khanna InterviewNegar Mortazavi speaks to Congressman Ro Khanna about U.S. policy in the Middle East, the Biden administration’s diplomacy with Iran, the impact of U.S. sanctions on tech companies and users, increasing toxicity on social media and platform accountability, the rise of far right extremism in the United States, and the chances of Donald Trump becoming President again.
2021-04-2321 min
The Iran PodcastDecolonizing Foreign AffairsNegar Mortazavi speaks to Terrell Starr, host of the Black Diplomats podcast, about US foreign policy and media. Then we will hear an episode of his podcast about Building Peace with Iran, where Negar Mortazavi was a guest.
2021-04-161h 09
The Iran PodcastViewing Iran Through the ArtsNegar Mortazavi speaks with Roya Khadjavi, a New York-based curator who showcases young and emerging artists from Iran. Roya talks about her mission to introduce new generations of Iranian artists to the West, and how US-Iran tensions impact her work and the life of these young artists.
2021-04-0934 min
The Iran PodcastSanctions Are Forever WarsNegar Mortazavi speaks to Peter Beinart about sanctions and how the United States has been using this tool to choke weaker adversaries, pressuring large populations without much policy gain.
Subscribe to The Beinart Notebook on Substack: peterbeinart.substack.com
2021-04-0230 min
The Iran PodcastGrassroots Against SanctionsNegar Mortazavi speaks to Sima Shakhsari and Assal Rad about a new grassroots movement in the US against sanctions on Iran. A coalition of Iranian-American academics, activists, and artists is trying to pressure the Biden administration to lift sanctions on Iran. *Music by Aida Shahghasemi.
2021-03-2642 min
The Iran PodcastIranian Foreign Minister ZarifNegar Mortazavi speaks with Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif about the current impasse in diplomacy between Tehran and Washington and a sequence of return to the nuclear deal; President Biden’s interest in follow-on negotiations on Iran’s missile program, regional presence and human rights; Iran’s fight against Covid19 and plans for mass vaccination; the IRGC shooting down of the Ukrainian plane last year; and whether Zarif will run for president.
*This interview was recorded for Politico magazine on March 15, 2021.
2021-03-2327 min
The Iran PodcastA War Correspondent in Middle EastNegar Mortazavi talks to Borzou Daragahi, International Correspondent for The Independent who has been covering conflicts in the Middle East for two decades. They discuss the current impasse in US-Iran diplomacy, the war in Syria, corruption in Lebanon, rivalry between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, and new friendships between Israel and Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
2021-03-1934 min
The Iran PodcastRevisiting the 1979 RevolutionNegar Mortazavi speaks to Mohsen Milani, Founding Executive Director of Center for Strategic & Diplomatic Studies at University of South Florida, about the 1979 revolution in Iran, America’s position towards the revolution and the significance of the hostage crisis, and today’s situation in Iran and similarities and differences with the years leading to 1979.
2021-03-1237 min
The Iran PodcastIranian Public Opinion in Biden EraNegar Mortazavi speaks to Nancy Gallagher, Director of the Center for International and Security Studies at University of Maryland, about Iranian public opinion on Covid19, economy, nuclear policy, regional security, and domestic politics, based on two in-depth surveys fielded in September-October 2020 and January-February 2021.
2021-03-0445 min
The Iran PodcastRestraint in US Foreign PolicyNegar Mortazavi speaks to John Glaser, director of foreign policy at the Cato Institute, about America's role in the world and the case for Restraint in US foreign policy that calls for reducing America's global military presence and decades of wars and armed intervention in the Middle East. (Interview was recorded on February 23)
Producer: Joshua Barlow - Music: 127Band
2021-02-2645 min
The Iran PodcastCultural Exchanges with IranNegar Mortazavi speaks to Fatemeh Keshavarz, Director of School of Languages and Cultures at University of Maryland, about the importance of people-to-people exchanges with Iran, the role of arts and culture in making bridges, how the poetry of Rumi and Hafez and other prominent Persian poets has lived on for centuries, and about her life growing up in the city of Shiraz.
Music by 127Band
2021-02-1949 min
The Iran PodcastUS & Iran: Wrestling Ghosts of HistoryNegar Mortazavi speaks to Ambassador John Limbert, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iran and one of the last US diplomats to serve in Tehran where he was taken hostage in 1979. They discuss four decades of animosity between Tehran and Washington and how both sides have been wrestling with the ghosts of history.
2021-02-1247 min
The Iran PodcastReturning to the Nuclear DealNegar Mortazavi speaks to Kelsey Davenport, Director of Nonproliferation at the Arms Control Association, about the current state of Iran’s nuclear program, the limits set by the JCPOA, Iran’s past nuclear activities, and the path forward for a full return to the Iran nuclear deal.
2021-02-0533 min
The Iran PodcastA Progressive Foreign PolicyNegar Mortazavi speaks to Matt Duss, foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, about a progressive vision for US foreign policy towards the Middle East, two decades after 9/11 and the global war on terror.
2021-01-2931 min
The Iran PodcastHumanitarian Impact of SanctionsNegar Mortazavi speaks to Erica Moret about the effectiveness of sanctions as a foreign policy tool, the various different types of sanctions, and their humanitarian impact on targeted countries.
(Music by 127)
2021-01-2237 min
The Iran PodcastUkrainian Flight PS752Negar Mortazavi speaks with Michael Page from Human Rights Watch about the Ukraine International Flight PS752 that was shot down by IRGC missiles over Tehran on 8 January 2020, and the year-long fight for truth and justice.
2021-01-1532 min
The Iran PodcastAssassinations in IranNegar Mortazavi speaks with Paul Pillar, veteran CIA analyst, about heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, the possibility of a military conflict, and the future of US-Iran diplomacy after Trump.
2021-01-0836 min
The Iran PodcastThe Execution of Ruhollah ZamNegar Mortazavi speaks with Mani Mostofi, Director of Miaan Group, about the recent execution of Ruhollah Zam, the international mechanism of human rights, and how to hold abusers accountable.
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-12-3050 min
The Iran PodcastContinuity in Iran’s Nuclear ProgramNegar Mortazavi speaks with Sina Azodi from the Atlantic Council about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the history of continuity in the country’s nuclear program since it started under the Shah and continued under the Islamic Republic.
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-12-1132 min
The Iran PodcastEurope's Role in US-Iran DiplomacyNegar Mortazavi speaks with Azadeh Zamirirad, Deputy Head of Middle East and Africa at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin, about Europe’s role in diplomacy between Iran and the US, how the Europeans helped nuclear negotiations succeed in the past and what they can do to help deescalate tensions and restart diplomacy between Tehran and Washington.
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-12-0335 min
The Iran PodcastThe Ayatollahs No Longer DifferNegar Mortazavi speaks with Hooman Majd, an Iranian-American author and journalist, about contemporary Iranian politics. He was born in a diplomatic family before the 1979 revolution in Iran, attended school in Europe, and now lives in New York. He has written three books on Iran; The Ayatollah Begs to Differ (2008), The Ayatollahs’ Democracy (2010), and The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay (2013).
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-11-2945 min
The Iran PodcastAmerica and Iran: A HistoryNegar Mortazavi speaks with John Ghazvinian, Executive Director of the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania, about the history of US-Iran relations over the past few centuries since 1720, and how the two countries went from mutual admiration and close ties to mutual hatred.
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-11-1935 min
The Iran PodcastIran Disinfo & Heshmat AlaviNegar Mortazavi speaks with Murtaza Hussain from The Intercept and Eli Clifton from Responsible Statecraft about a State Department project called IRAN DISINFO that attacked journalists and academics who were critical of Trump's Iran policy, as well as a fake online persona called Heshmat Alavi that is run by the MEK and has been retweeted by Donald Trump.
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-11-0235 min
The Iran PodcastThe Muslim BanNegar Mortazavi speaks with Azadeh Shahshahani, Legal and Advocacy Director at Project South, about Donald Trump’s Travel Ban on Iranians and other nations, how political tensions between Washington and Tehran impact Iranians living in and traveling to the US, and FBI’s surveillance of Iranians and other Muslim communities in the US.
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation. Music by 127.
2020-10-2630 min
The Iran PodcastPolitics of Music in IranNegar Mortazavi speaks with Nahid Siamdoust, visiting Assistant Professor at Harvard University, about music after the 1979 revolution in Iran through the Iran-Iraq war, the post-war era of pop music, political music inspired by the 2009 green movement, and today's musicians in the diaspora, in memory of legendary Iranian singer the late Mohammadreza Shajarian. (Music by Shajarian, Koveitipoor, Shabpareh, Parnaz&Ashkan).
*This episode was made possible with support from Heinrich Boll Foundation.
2020-10-1539 min
The Iran PodcastIran Nuclear DealNegar Mortazavi speaks with Joe Cirincione, nuclear policy expert and former President of Ploughshares Fund, about the Iran nuclear deal as part of the global nonproliferation movement, why the JCPOA was a good deal, and how a potential Biden administration can revive this agreement.
2020-10-1034 min
The Iran PodcastAn Iranian-American on TelevisionNegar Mortazavi speaks with Asieh Namdar, a news anchor at CGTN America and a former anchor at CNN, about immigrating to the U.S. as a child in the height of the 1979 revolution and the hostage crisis in Iran, being one of the first Iranian-Americans on television, and dealing with toxic attacks on journalists online.
(Music by 127)
2020-10-0238 min
The Iran PodcastIslamic Republic & Human RightsNegar Mortazavi speaks with Hadi Ghaemi, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Human Rights in Iran, about the execution of a young wrestler named Navid Afkari in Iran, ongoing protests against the government, how the state is using violence to crack down on protesters, and human rights violations in the Islamic Republic since the eve of the 1979 revolution.
2020-09-2147 min
The Iran PodcastNational Iranian American CouncilNegar Mortazavi speaks with Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council, about political participation in the Trump era and why the largest Iranian-American grassroots organization decided to endorse Biden for President.
(Music by 127)
2020-09-1636 min
The Iran PodcastIran's #MeToo MomentNegar Mortazavi speaks with Sussan Tahmasebi, Iranian-American feminist and Director of FEMENA, about a Me Too moment in Iran as a large number of women and men on social media are breaking taboos and sharing stories of sexual abuse.
(Music by 127)
2020-09-0744 min
The Iran PodcastWhen IRGC Tried to Recruit a SpyNegar Mortazavi speaks with Behdad Esfahbod, an Iranian-Canadian computer engineer who has worked for Facebook and Google. Behdad was arrested on a personal trip to Iran and was pressured by the IRGC to spy for them. He was imprisoned and put in solitary confinement for one week and asked about internet freedom and activists outside Iran who work to help Iranian users circumvent government censorship in Iran.
*This special episode was recorded live on Instagram.
2020-08-2835 min
The Iran Podcast10. Trump vs TehranNegar Mortazavi speaks with Michael Singh, Managing Director at the Washington Institute, about the Trump administration’s Iran policy and the future of the JCPOA under a second Trump term or a Biden presidency.
(Music by 127)
2020-08-1732 min
The Iran Podcast9. Iran and CanadaNegar Mortazavi speaks with Thomas Juneau, associate professor at the University of Ottawa and former analyst at Canada's Department of National Defence, about diplomatic relations between Iran and Canada over the past decades and key events that have impacted Ottawa's policy towards Tehran.
(Music by 127)
2020-08-1145 min
The Iran Podcast8. Media and Cultural Products in IranNegar Mortazavi speaks to Narges Bajoghli, an anthropologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, about how the Islamic Republic uses media to shape narratives in Iran and beyond its borders, how diaspora media provide competitive narratives, how American media cover Iran, and why Iran is still poorly understood in the US.
(Music by 127)
2020-07-2944 min
The Iran Podcast1. Iran's Economy under CovidNegar Mortazavi speaks with Bijan Khajehpour, an economist and a managing partner at EUNEPA, about Covid19 in Iran and how the pandemic combined with US sanctions have seriously impacted Iran's economy.(Music by 127)
2020-05-2736 min