Author: Siyavash Shahabi
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Not progressive, just American: how Iranian society is erased in political debate
This article was written in response to a conversation Bernie Sanders had with three experts about the tense and troubled history of relations between Iran and the United States. The discussion rightly highlights the legacy of the 1953 coup, the destructive impact of sanctions and military interventions, the warmongering of the Trump administration, Israel’s role…
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Kharg, Hormuz, and the Boundaries of U.S. Power
The US attacked Kharg, but it did not hit Iran’s oil export terminal there. That apparent contradiction may explain the nature of this war better than any official statement. Kharg is not just an island. It is a place where military force, the Iranian state budget, oil tanker routes, and the nerves of the global…
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Mojtaba Khamenei and the Rule of the Shadows
When it comes to Mojtaba Khamenei, the issue is not just whether he has become, or may become, his father’s successor. The more important issue is the kind of power concentrated around his name: faceless power, backstage power, security-driven power, and power deeply shaped by the logic of control. If we put together the many…
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Iran and Kurdistan in the Grip of Two Violences
What we are seeing today in part of the current Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan is no longer just a tactical slip or simply a sign that they cannot understand the real balance of forces. Organizations such as PJAK, PAK, and Khabat had been waiting for foreign intervention and for a chance to…
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War, Revolt, and Iran’s Unfinished Struggle
On February 28, after three inconclusive rounds of nuclear talks in Geneva, coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted senior figures of the Islamic Republic’s political and security leadership as well as key command-and-control infrastructure. In the days prior, Donald Trump had publicly invoked January’s mass killings and the regime’s repression of protesters, framing military action…
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Against Turning Kurdistan into a Ground War Zone
As the United States and Israel attacks on Iran enters a more sensitive phase, the Cooperation Council of Left and Communist Forces in Kurdistan have issued a joint statement warning about the danger of Kurdistan becoming the main center of war, destruction, and displacement. In this statement, the cooperation council said that the continued US…
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Guerra in Iran: le verità involontarie di Trump e quelle ancora nascoste
Il 27 marzo, parlando davanti a una sala piena di investitori sauditi riuniti a Miami per il vertice Future Investment Initiative, Donald Trump ha detto di Mohammed bin Salman: «Non avrei mai pensato che sarebbe finito con lui che mi leccava il culo. Davvero, non l’avrei mai pensato. Ma ora deve essere gentile con me».…
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Day 5 of Attacks: Tehran Disrupted, Internet Cut, and Calls Grow for Prisoner Protection
Internet access across Iran has dropped sharply in multiple regions as the war entered its fifth day, limiting independent reporting and leaving the public reliant on state-linked outlets, scattered eyewitness posts, and occasional short videos transmitted via satellite connections. While some users report brief, inconsistent connectivity through certain mobile providers, the broader picture remains one…
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Why “Neutral” Anti-Imperialism Keeps Losing
Let’s be blunt. Kidnapping, arresting, or killing a political figure of one country by another state is defined as illegal in international law, not because powerful states suddenly became humane, but because even ruling elites after World War II understood that if this logic isn’t contained, competition between states turns into permanent chaos and endless…
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Day Five of Campus Unrest: Disciplinary Summons, Entry Bans, and New Rallies
The fifth day of student protests unfolded along two tracks at the same time: on the one hand, sit-ins and rallies continued at several major universities; on the other, authorities stepped up security control, blocked some students from entering campuses, and tried to “silence the universities” by pushing classes online. In Tehran and Karaj, the…
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“Woman, Life, Freedom” Echoes Across Campuses on Day Four
The fourth day of student protests saw an unprecedented spread of gatherings across universities in different parts of the country. From early in the morning, reports began to emerge about sit-ins and demonstrations starting in several universities in Tehran and other cities. In Tehran, students gathered at the University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology,…
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Iranian Universities Reignite Protests on First Day of Reopening
February 21, 2026, saw Iranian universities once again turn into arenas of protest, chanting, and confrontation. The first day of in-person classes after weeks of closures and online instruction coincided with the fortieth day since those killed in the January protests. Rather than marking a return to “normal life,” it exposed, once again, the deep…
