Iran: why Shia Islam's tradition of martyrdom is key to understanding the conflict

Iran: why Shia Islam's tradition of martyrdom is key to understanding the conflict

From Holy Smoke by The Spectator

March 23, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the significance of martyrdom in Shia Islam and its impact on the Iranian regime's resilience amidst external threats.

When Ayatollah Khamenei was assassinated early in the Iran conflict, and during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, it was celebrated by the Trump administration – who saw this as a large step towards regime change in Iran. Yet, for Khamenei's supporters, his death secured him a place amongst other celebrated Iranian martyrs. Shia Islam has a long tradition of martyrdom, something under-appreciated in the global West, and which goes some way to explaining why the current regime has survived in the face of external threats. Yet, as Dr Eric Lob explains, there is still nuance between the faith of the theocratic regime and those adherents of Shia Islam in the country who are less political. Eric Lob, associate professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University joins Damian Thompson to discuss. Produced by Patrick Gibbons. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Damian Thompson

Guest: Dr Eric Lob

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Organizations: Florida International University, The Spectator

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