The Production of Oil & Knowledge in Iran with Mattin Biglari & Katayoun Shafiee

The Production of Oil & Knowledge in Iran with Mattin Biglari & Katayoun Shafiee

From The American Vandal by Matt Seybold, Center For Mark Twain Studies

June 2, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the historical context of the current polycrisis related to Iranian oil with two historians.

A discussion of the historical trajectory informing the current polycrisis reverberating from the Strait of Hormuz with two historians of Iranian Oil, authors of "Nationalising Oil & Knowledge in Iran" (Edinburgh UP, 2025) and "Machineries of Oil" (MIT Press, 2018). Cast (in order of appearance): Matt Seybold, Katayoun Shafiee, and Mattin Biglari Music: Danny Weiss Quartet, Moby For more about this episode, please visit TheAmericanVandal.substack.com

People in this episode

Host: Matt Seybold

Guests: Katayoun Shafiee, Mattin Biglari

Topics covered

  • Iranian Oil
  • historical trajectory
  • polycrisis
  • Strait of Hormuz
  • oil industry
  • history

Keywords

  • Iran
  • oil
  • history
  • polycrisis
  • Strait of Hormuz
  • Matt Seybold
  • Katayoun Shafiee
  • Mattin Biglari

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Edinburgh UP, MIT Press

Books & works: Nationalising Oil & Knowledge in Iran, Machineries of Oil

Places: Strait of Hormuz

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