This week on Eye for Iran, we look at Iran through three connected lenses: history, culture, and a society that some say is transforming in real time.

First, Ambassador John Limbert – one of the American diplomats taken hostage in 1979 – reflects on what he witnessed in the early days of the revolution, how the Islamic Republic has (and hasn’t) changed over five decades, and why the hostility between Washington and Tehran has outlasted the Cold War. He reacts to Donald Trump’s assertion that “Iran is a bully no more,” and explains why he’s wary of predictions about the Islamic Republic's collapse.

Then, researcher and postdoctoral fellow Siavash Rokni breaks down the controversy over Shervin Hajipour’s licensed album and the sudden “normalization” of rap in Iran. He explains how shows like BaZia and state-linked streaming platforms are being used to hijack youth culture, control the rap aesthetic and turn 25 years of underground music into a profitable, controllable industry and why he sees it as a sophisticated PR performance.

Finally, journalist and senior Iran analyst at DAWN Omid Memarian joins to examine Iran’s apparent social renaissance: street concerts, jazz festivals, desert raves, and a Gen Z that openly pushes back on hijab rules and refuses to live a double life. He argues that the loosening of social restrictions is driven from below, not granted from above, and that this movement has deep political implications, even if the clerical establishment tries to present it as a controlled opening.

You can watch this week's episode of Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Contents of this video:

00:00:00 – Intro: Is Iran really changing?
00:01:49 – Ambassador John Limbert joins the program
00:02:03 – Trump says “Iran is a bully no more” – Limbert reacts
00:06:30 – How the hostage crisis reshaped Iran and crushed democratic hopes
00:11:28 – Same rulers, new society: what has (and hasn’t) changed in 45 years
00:16:35 – Brain drain, diaspora, and a creative generation stuck between two Irans
00:22:18 – Segment 2: Siavash Rokni on youth culture and rap
00:23:27 – What is BaZia and why it matters for Iran’s rap scene
00:30:02 – Why the state is “normalizing” rap: money, control, and PR performance
00:39:12 – Shervin Hajipour backlash: betrayal, survival, and public anger
00:41:06 – DIY and parallel economies: how independent artists resist the system
00:45:36 – Segment 3: Omid Memarian on Iran’s social opening and crackdown
00:46:24 – Mahsa Amini, the 12-day war, and a “worn out” repression machine
00:51:55 – Not just Tehran: how far the social shift reaches beyond big cities
00:53:20 – Explosion of expectations: Gen Z vs the system
00:55:27 – Raves, festivals, and imagining a future without the Islamic Republic
01:02:11 – Outro and Eye for Iran newsletter/info

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The United States has launched one of its most visible military deployments in years off the coast of Venezuela — a major operation aimed at narco-terror networks and the Maduro government. Retired four-star General Joseph Votel joins Eye for Iran to explain how decisions like this are made, what Washington’s posture actually signals, and why moves in the Caribbean inevitably carry an indirect message for countries like Iran, even if they aren’t the main focus.

Next, we examine an Iran International investigation revealing new details about “Department 40,” an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence and cyber unit known as Charming Kitten. Cybersecurity expert Amin Sabeti explains how leaked files show the unit tracking dissidents, diplomats, journalists, think tank experts -- and even hacking institutions in countries friendly to Tehran.

Finally, we look at a separate investigation by an Iranian reformist newspaper uncovering that a licensed matchmaking platform in Iran is allowing parents to register children as young as 13 for marriage. Child rights advocate Nazanin Afshin-Jam explains why this platform will likely increase the number of child marriages in Iran especially with the fraught economic conditions.

A look at US policy, Iran’s external activities, and the human rights issues unfolding inside the country — all in one episode.

You can watch Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Contents of this video:

00:00:00 US sends 12,000 troops near Venezuela – cold open and episode intro
00:02:47 Venezuela, Iran and US planning – first question to Gen. Votel
00:05:15 How Washington makes military decisions on Venezuela
00:07:05 Indirect impact on Iran and messaging to Tehran
00:09:24 Covert options and information warfare against Maduro
00:13:46 Deterrence, 12,000 troops and message to other adversaries
00:17:05 Votel’s time as CENTCOM commander and Iran’s influence in the region
00:21:05 How to confront and engage Iran going forward
00:24:15 Can the US sustain major deployments in the Caribbean and Middle East?
00:26:37 Leak exposes IRGC Department 40 cyber unit
00:30:36 Why Iran’s hackers target even friendly states
00:35:50 How deep the hacks go and how to protect yourself
00:39:04 Investigation: matchmaking platform and child marriage
00:43:22 Nazanin’s past campaign saving a child bride from execution
00:47:43 What the world can do to pressure Tehran on child marriage
00:49:28 Outro – how to follow Eye for Iran

#iran #venezuela #usa #trump #hacker #hack #children #centcom #narconews #podcast #shorts #youtube

Iran says it is ready to talk to the United States on its own terms and has paused uranium enrichment after US and Israeli strikes. At the same time Tehran is allegedly building a secret enrichment site at Pickaxe Mountain and blocking inspectors. This while a leaked UN watchdog report shows there is no clear oversight of its 60 percent enriched uranium - enough for around ten nuclear weapons.

In this episode of Eye for Iran Negar Mojtahedi sits down with nonproliferation expert Mark Fitzpatrick, author of “The Iranian Nuclear Crisis,” former US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Non Proliferation and associate fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). They break down Iran’s long-term strategy of nuclear hedging, why the Twelve Day War may have strengthened Tehran’s desire for a nuclear option and how Israel’s strikes have “temporized” but not ended the threat.

They also explore what happens if Saudi Arabia secures a civilian nuclear deal with President Donald Trump, whether this could spark a regional nuclear arms race involving Egypt, Turkey and the UAE and if Iran might ever turn to North Korea for help. What is Washington’s real end game and how far will Israel go to block any US–Iran deal? Watch the full conversation to find out or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Contents of this video:

0:00 Intro
01:23 – Introducing Mark Fitzpatrick
01:59 – Iran’s long term nuclear hedging strategy
04:26 – Growing calls inside Iran to pursue the bomb
06:02 – Risks of a nuclear armed Iran and regional dominoes
07:33 – Saudi nuclear ambitions and Trump meeting in DC
09:03 – Could Saudi enrichment trigger a regional arms race
10:55 – Iran–US negotiations and the zero enrichment deadlock
13:21 – Israel’s strikes and the era of “temporizing”
17:55 – Missing 60 percent uranium and IAEA blind spots
20:12 – Did the Twelve Day War help or hurt long term stability
31:37 – Could Iran turn to North Korea for nuclear help

#iran #israel #saudiarabia #usa #trump #nuclear #podcast #news #youtube #shorts #middleeast

Iran is confronting one of the most serious environmental and geopolitical turning points in its modern history. In this edition of Eye for Iran, three critical conversations reveal how quickly conditions are shifting and what may come next for the region.

The episode opens with Dr. Kaveh Madani, former senior Iranian environmental official and now head of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. He warns that Tehran is rapidly approaching what he calls Day Zero, with major reservoirs hitting dead storage, groundwater collapsing, and millions of residents at risk of losing reliable access to water. He explains why drought, climate pressure, and years of mismanagement have pushed Iran into national water bankruptcy.

Professor Aram Hessami, a political science professor based in Maryland, then breaks down new reports suggesting that senior Israeli officials believe the window is closing to force major change in Iran before 2029. He explains what these claims actually signal about Israel’s strategy, why regime change rhetoric rarely matches reality, and how misreading the Iranian public could lead to deeper instability.

Jasmine Naamou, who was in the room with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his historic visit to Washington, describes Syria’s emerging shift away from decades of Iranian influence and toward a closer alignment with the West.

You can watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

#iran #water #israel #syria #trump #usa #podcast #news #middleeast #youtube #shorts

Tehran is allegedly urging its Shia militias in Iraq to swap guns for ballots in a shift that could reshape Baghdad’s power balance and test Washington’s resolve.

“Iraq may become, in a very odd way, the Achilles heel of the Trump administration,” said historian Dr Shahram Kholdi on Eye for Iran.

Jay Solomon, author of the Iran Wars, said that while Tehran is “on its back foot,” it remains “committed to rebuilding its proxy network."

Alex Vatanka, Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, added that “the regime is trying to rebuild” rather than reform.

This week, host Negar Mojtahedi and her three guests also examine Iran’s nuclear standoff, Khamenei’s praise for the 1979 embassy takeover and the suspicious death of dissident Omid Sarlak.

#iran #iraq #usa #trump #news #podcast #middleeast #youtube #shorts

You can watch Eye for Iran on Youtube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

Two Gaza-born activists tell Eye for Iran that Tehran’s support for Hamas has not only prolonged Palestinian suffering but also strengthened hardliners in Israel.
Khalil Sayegh, now based in Washington DC, and Hamza Howidy, who fled Gaza in 2023, argue that Iran has used Palestinians as pawns to justify its regional ambitions.
They say a free and independent Palestine would strip the Islamic Republic of its main ideological weapon — the plight of the Palestinian people — and further weaken Tehran’s regional sway after two years of war.
You can watch the full episode on YouTube or any podcast platform of your choosing.
#gaza #israel #hamas #usa #iran #shorts #youtube #podcast #news

Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren tells Eye for Iran that Tehran’s growing isolation and lessons it drew from the recent 12-day war could make it a more formidable opponent. “Iran feels cornered,” Oren warns, “and that’s when nations become most dangerous.”

Oren discusses Iran’s evolving military tactics, Israel’s decision to agree to a ceasefire and why he believes the post-war Middle East may be undergoing its most significant changes since the Six-Day War.

Later, host Negar Mojtahedi speaks with Iran International’s Maryam Sinaiee about the leaked video of the lavish wedding for ex-security chief Ali Shamkhani’s daughter - a scandal that has unsettled Tehran’s ruling elite. Sinaiee examines the public backlash and potential infighting surrounding the video.

You can watch this episode on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.

#iran #iranian #israel #usa #trump #nuclear #wedding #shamkhani

Former Israeli intelligence officer Danny Citrinowicz tells Eye for Iran a new and far deadlier conflict between Israel and Iran is “almost imminent.”

Citrinowicz says both sides wrongly believe they “won” the last war — a miscalculation that makes another, even more violent escalation inevitable. He warns the United States is still chasing a deal while Israel aims to weaken or topple the clerical establishment, a dangerous imbalance that could ignite a wider regional war.

We also examine satellite evidence appearing to show Iran’s rebuilding its nuclear capabilities south of Natanz, President Trump’s Knesset speech claiming victory, and growing signs that Washington and Tel Aviv are no longer aligned on Iran policy.

Watch the full Eye for Iran interview on YouTube for insight into what the next Iran–Israel war could look like — and whether diplomacy can still stop it. You can also listen to this episode of Eye for Iran on any podcast platform of your choosing.

#iran #israel #iranian #israeli #intelligence #war #podcast #news #middleeast #shorts #youtube #iraninternational

Oil sanctions were meant to throttle Iran’s revenue but have instead enriched its elite.
Eurasia Group Iran and oil analyst Greg Brew joins Negar Mojtahedi to explain how Iran keeps selling over a million barrels of barrels a day through shadow networks which profit wildly from the murky trade.
We also explore China’s role in sustaining Iran’s oil industry and shadowy tycoons like Babak Zanjani, who embody the paradox of Iran’s undercover economy.
You can watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.#iraninternational #ایران_اینترنشنال #iran #china #sanctions #oil #usa #trump #youtube #shorts #podcast #news

International sanctions renewed on Tehran over the weekend are already making life harder for ordinary Iranians and may signal an impasse that could lead to renewed war, experts told Iran International’s podcast Eye for Iran.
In this Eye for Iran episode, host Negar Mojtahedi speaks with economist Mahdi Ghodsi and analyst Holly Dagres to break down what may lie ahead.
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You can watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on any podcast platform of your choosing.