Essay
The Current Deadlock of Politics in Iran
What steps in domestic politics could keep us from sliding into an external military aggression, a coup, civil war, and economic–environmental ruin?
Latest
Essay
Nationalism, War, and Affection for One’s Homeland
A sense of belonging to one’s home is a human feeling; it does not inherently require allegiance to any particular state or fixed borders. Home is where you work, toil, build a life and a house.
Political Commentary
Why the “Moderate Factions” Are Smiling
After Israel’s twelve-day military onslaught, the moderates are openly talking about the need to change the “governance paradigm.” That paradigm, when stripped of euphemism, is the Supreme Leader’s doctrine of clerical rule (Velayat-e-Faghih) and the Shiite radicalism of the “Axis of Resistance.”
Lebanonizing Iran: A Trump-Era Option on the Table
Two weeks after the ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Republic, signs that Israel, backed by the United States and Western allies, is pursuing a policy of “Lebanonizing” Iran are beginning to materialize.
After the Supreme Leader, After Fordo
Any viable political force hoping to step in must already have a domestic base, an organizational structure, and some measure of security and military support to prevent the collapse into anarchy. No such force exists.
Political Commentary
The War Began
Whether the Iranian public is supportive of these strikes or instead deeply fearful remains unclear. While opposition groups abroad have expressed elation, and outlets such as Iran International have extensively amplified Israeli messaging in recent hours, the internal mood appears more complex.
Essay
Peace with the Devil
“The Great Satan”, a label once wielded by the founder of the Islamic Republic to describe the United States, has long faded from Iranian discourse. Today, few Iranians remember the revolutionary fervor that once infused the phrase.
A Note from the Publisher
What journalism means in a Western democracy is not identical to what it means for a diasporic Persian outlet like ours. And yet—amid all these differences—there are a few things that should remain universal.