In 1979, a mass uprising in Iran overthrew the U.S.-backed Shah and transformed the politics of south west Asia – aka the Middle East – launching decades of confrontation between Iran and Washington.
Why did the revolution triumph so quickly, and why did Islamic forces come to lead it? And how have nearly five decades of wars, sanctions, assassinations, and regime-change efforts shaped Iran’s politics and opposition movements today?
Farshid Vahedian explores these questions in a presentation on the origins of the Iranian Revolution, the continuing conflict with US imperialism and its ally, Israel, and the impact of this and other external pressures on Iran’s internal political and social dynamics.
Vahedian is a peace and social justice activist and a member of the U.S. Peace Council. He spoke at the Institute for the Critical Study of Society on March 7, 2026. We share part of his presentation, which can be watched in full here.
You can learn more about the Institute for the Critical Study of Society at ICSSMarx.org.
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Kambis Sakhai is an Iranian Marxist historian who spoke with Pacifica’s Steve Zeltzer about the US-Israeli attack of Iran in the context of the general crisis of global capitalism.
Kambiz Sakhai On US Israel War On Iran & The Iranian Working Class
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We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced by the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective, with contributions from Steve Zeltzer, Thomas O’Rourke, and Polina Vasiliev.
You can find this and all previous episodes at our website “capitalism race and democracy dot ORG”. Make sure you click the subscribe button. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @PacificaCRD.
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