Inside Iran: Basij strikes, purported message & voices from Tehran | Eye for Iran | EP 94 |

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of Israeli drone strikes on Basij checkpoints in Tehran and features expert analysis on the political situation in Iran.

The war against the Islamic Republic may be entering a new phase after Israeli drone strikes targeted Basij checkpoints in Tehran. The Basij — a paramilitary force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — has long been responsible for carrying out repression and violently suppressing protests across Iran. In this episode of Eye for Iran, John Hannah, who served in senior foreign policy positions for both Democratic and Republican administrations, including as former Vice President Dick Cheney’s National Security Advisor from 2005–2009 and Deputy National Security Advisor for the Middle East from 2001–2005, explains why these strikes could mark a turning point that may weaken the regime’s ability to control the streets and potentially shift the balance in favor of the Iranian people. Meanwhile, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to appear publicly. Instead, his first communication reportedly came in the form of a written message rather than a video statement — raising new questions about who is truly in charge. A panel of experts, including historian Shahram Kholdi, former U.S. government appointee Shayan Samii, and former Israeli intelligence official Avi…

People in this episode

Guests: John Hannah, Shahram Kholdi, Shayan Samii, Avi Melamed, Tara Grammy

Topics covered

• Iran
• Basij
• Israeli drone strikes
• political analysis
• repression
• power struggle

Keywords

• Basij
• Iran
• Israeli drone strikes
• Mojtaba Khamenei
• repression
• political analysis
• Tehran
• power struggle

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Places: Tehran

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