Roqe

Jian opens Episode 415 of Roqe – Iran Rises with a sober assessment of the United Nations, arguing that despite its language and ideals, it is structurally incapable of protecting Iranian civilians or advancing the revolution now underway.

As tens of thousands of Iranian families grieve victims of an ongoing massacre, outrage is growing over the UN’s continued engagement with representatives of the Islamic Republic. This episode asks a difficult but necessary question: where should Iranians place their energy, pressure, and hope now?

Jian is joined by:

Lisa Daftari, Iranian-American foreign policy analyst, journalist, and founder of The Foreign Desk

Shayan Samii, U.S. national security analyst and expert in strategic communications

Bahador Alast, Iranian-Canadian engineer and widely followed cultural and language commentator

The conversation explores:

Why anger toward the UN is intensifying among Iranians worldwide

Whether the UN functions as protection or symbolism during mass atrocities

The meaning of “intervention” and what actually helps people on the ground

The role of global protests in cities like Toronto, Los Angeles, and Munich

Recorded February 12, 2026.

This episode of Roqe is brought to you with the support of:

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On this episode of Roqe – Iran Rises, Jian is joined by Khosro Isfahani, Research Director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran, for a clear-eyed conversation about where the Iranian revolution stands right now, what intervention actually looks like, why the United States continues to negotiate with the Islamic Republic, and what may come next under Donald Trump.

The episode then widens into a panel discussion with Picasso Moin in Istanbul and Kamyar Mahinsa in Vancouver, including Kamyar’s reflections from the demonstration in Vancouver yesterday, the resilience of Iranians inside the country, growing distractions and infighting in the diaspora, and whether unity is holding at the moment it matters most.

Jian opens Episode 414 with a moving essay - “When they arrest the doctors, the regime tells you what it is” - examining the moral meaning of a regime that punishes doctors and medical workers for helping wounded protesters.

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Jian opens this episode of Roqe with an essay making the case for calling this uprising the Lion and Sun Revolution.

He reflects on the Lion and Sun flag being raised in Richmond Hill, Canada, while making one thing unmistakably clear - symbols in the diaspora are never enough. The real revolution is being paid for in blood inside Iran. Still, when a people are fighting to reclaim identity beyond the rulers who define them, symbols matter.

Jian is then joined by Salar Gholami - former Iranian national team boxer and key organizer behind the historic Iranian-Canadian demonstrations in Toronto. They discuss how these massive rallies were built, how unity was maintained, what’s happening inside Iran, and what comes next as February 14th approaches.

This episode of Roqe is supported by:

Avoca Chocolates

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Stellar Law

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Jian opens Episode 412 of Roqe – Iran Rises with a forceful opening essay on the power of unity - as Iranians around the world shatter old stereotypes of division and rally around shared symbols, identity, and purpose.

He’s then joined by Homa Sarshar, revered Iranian-American journalist, author, and cultural figure, for a wide-ranging and deeply informed conversation on why this moment feels different, the evolving role of the diaspora, the silence of Western media, and what meaningful international pressure might actually require.

Recorded February 2, 2026.

This episode is brought to you with the support of Avoca Chocolates

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Jian opens Episode 411 of Roqe – Iran Rises with a searing essay explaining why the anger felt by Iranians around the world right now is not excessive, emotional, or misplaced - but informed, earned, and justified.

He’s then joined by Nazenin Ansari (Kayhan London / Kayhan Life) and Sadeq Bigdeli (Toronto-based lawyer and human rights advocate) for a sharp, up-to-the-minute conversation on the Huda Beauty backlash, disinformation campaigns, atrocity denial, the EU’s designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization, legal accountability, and the possibility of international intervention.

Recorded January 29, 2026.

Jian is joined by Farzin Nadimi, senior Iran and defense analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Shayan Samii, a U.S. national security analyst specializing in strategic communications.

The panel examines why Western intervention in Iran is no longer optional, how the regime’s escalating violence signals strategic weakness rather than strength, and what tools the United States and its allies actually have at their disposal as mass killing unfolds inside Iran.

The episode opens with a forceful in-studio essay arguing that Western media atrocity denial - driven by hesitation, ideological discomfort, and an obsession with disputing numbers - is delaying truth and enabling the continued killing of Iranian civilians.

This episode is brought to you with the support of Stellar Law

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Jian opens Episode 409 of Roqe - Iran Rises with a direct message to members of the Iranian diaspora who have chosen silence during one of the most violent chapters in the Islamic Republic’s history - not out of ignorance or absence, but out of convenience.

The episode then turns to a panel discussion with two guests joining from opposite sides of the world:

Erfan Paydar, Iranian-American rapper and activist in Los Angeles, and

Forouq Canaani, academic and political analyst based in Munich.

Together, they examine the current state of the uprising inside Iran, the unprecedented scale of global solidarity rallies, the role of regime-linked lobbying and disinformation efforts, and how Iranians inside the country are navigating repression, fear, and hope in real time.

Roqe - Iran Rises is recorded as events continue to move rapidly on the ground, with perspectives shared as close to real time as possible.

This episode is brought to you with the support of Stellar Law

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In this episode of Roqe – as part of the Iran Rises series - Jian reflects on a defining moment in Iran’s ongoing revolution as internet blackouts begin to crack and evidence of mass violence by the Islamic Republic regime against civilians comes into view.

In an opening essay entitled “Don’t Look Away,” Jian argues that silence, exhaustion, and narrative distortion are among the most powerful tools authoritarian regimes rely on.

Jian is then joined by Iranian-American former U.S. senior official and global business leader Bijan Kian for an in-depth conversation about:

What the regime’s actions reveal about its survival strategy

Whether recent massacres mark a point of no return

The international community’s response – and its limits

The role of disinformation and soft-pedalled narratives

What sustained attention and support can actually achieve

This episode was recorded on January 19, 2026, as events inside Iran continued to evolve

This edition of Roqe is supported by Stellar Law – a Toronto-based boutique litigation firm known for disciplined strategy and rigorous advocacy.

What is happening in Iran can no longer be described as a “regime crackdown.”

It is a military occupation of civilians by their own state.

In this urgent new episode of Roqe, Jian opens with a forceful essay addressing the scale of violence, mass arrests, and civilian deaths unfolding inside Iran - and the growing silence from Western governments and media.

This edition features a wide-ranging panel discussion with:

Dr. Siamak Aram (Washington DC) – Academic and community organizer focused on Iranian civic mobilization

Shayan Samii (Virginia) – U.S. national security analyst specializing in the Near East and strategic communications

Later, Jian speaks with Gazelle Sharmahd (Los Angeles), a German-American freedom advocate and the daughter of Jimmy Sharmahd, who was kidnapped and killed by the Islamic Republic in 2024.

Recorded on January 15, 2026, this episode asks a painful question many Iranians are now voicing openly: Are we alone again?

This edition of Roqe is brought to you with the support of:

Stellar Law – stellarlaw.ca (http://stellarlaw.ca/)

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As protests escalate inside Iran and internet access is increasingly restricted, the urgency of this moment continues to sharpen.

On this edition of Roqe (Episode 406) - the third installment of the ongoing Iran Rises series - Jian leads a timely panel discussion examining the rapidly unfolding situation inside Iran, the regime’s escalating crackdown, the information blackout, and what meaningful international pressure could realistically look like.

This episode was recorded on January 12th, 2026 at 3pm ET, as events were moving quickly on the ground.

🎙️ Guests:

Ari Aramesh - Iranian-American lawyer and political commentator (Washington DC)

Dr. Kayvan Mirhadi (Dr. Kay) - Chief of Internal Medicine and trusted medical voice to Iranians worldwide (New York)

Lisa Daftari - Foreign policy journalist, Founder & Editor-in-Chief of The Foreign Desk (Los Angeles)

🧭 Topics include:

Shifting dynamics of the protests inside Iran

Global media and policy reactions

Internet shutdowns and information warfare

Human and medical realities on the ground

Possible paths forward and the limits of external intervention

🤝 Sponsors:

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