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Iran, Past and Present
Description
Peter Nemets is a writer and Twitter poster. He returns to Restoring Order for a deep dive into Iranian history.
First, we start with ancient Persia. We discuss the Achaemenid Empire, which eventually fell to Alexander the Great. After came the Parthian Empire—and after that, the Sasanids. We then discuss the Arab conquest of Persia, which replaced Zoroastrianism with Islam. Next, we cover the Mongol invasions. Toward the end of the first half, we discuss the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Dynasty.
In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), we switch gears to discuss the Pahlavi dynasty. What kind of man was Reza Shah Pahlavi? How was he deposed? We then discuss his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Were his reforms successful? This brings us to the Iranian revolution. Nemets and I detail the numerous factors that led to the revolution. We explore how it evolved over the course of 1979. Toward the end of the show, we talk about Operation Epic Fury and the future of Iran. After taking such a beating, will the Islamic Republic moderate? Tune in to find out.