Part 2 of 2 – This week, host Elisa is joined by Iran expert, Ray Takeyh, to discuss the history of Iran's governmental structure and its transition from western ally to enemy. How are the current protests impacting the Islamic Republic's control and influence? And considering Iran's growing affiliations with both Russia and China, is there any hope of recovering a steady U.S./Iran dynamic?

Ray Takeyh is Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations:

https://www.cfr.org/expert/ray-takeyh

References:

Takeyh, Ray. The Last Shah: America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty. Yale University Press, 2021:

https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300264654/the-last-shah/