The war with Iran was supposed to change the equation. But before bombs fall, before presidents decide on war and peace, and before negotiators ever sit across from one another, there is intelligence. So what does someone who spent decades trying to understand Iran from inside the CIA see happening next? Eye for Iran’s Negar Mojtahedi spoke with Mark Fowler, a decorated former CIA case officer and Farsi speaker who spent 22 years at the agency, rising to the number two position on Iran and Iraq within the CIA and serving overseas as a Chief of Station. “We are in a test of wills,” Fowler said. “I just don’t know who will blink first.” Then, inside Iran, some very familiar faces are being put back in charge. The unseen Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders across Iran’s armed forces, Revolutionary Guards and Basij, while veteran Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei has been handed one of the most powerful national security positions in the country. These aren’t young commanders being elevated to build a new Islamic Republic. They are veterans of the old one. So is Mojtaba Khamenei rebuilding the command structure for the next phase of war, consolidating his own power or preparing for unrest at home? Joining the discussion are Kamran Bokhari, senior resident fellow at the Middle East Policy Council and a strategic forecaster, Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran, and Omid Memarian, senior Iran analyst at DAWN. “There’s been an undeclared coup by the Guard,” Bokhari said. Brodsky sees signs of an effort to balance competing power centers inside the IRGC. “I think we have some hints here that the system is trying to thread the needle among different camps within the IRGC, to try to hand out different positions to basically allow these different factions to have different aspects of the system under their control,” Brodsky said. Memarian argues one appointment in particular may reveal what the regime fears most. “Putting a veteran intelligence chief in charge of the Basij suggests that Tehran increasingly sees the foreign battlefield and the domestic street as two fronts of the same security challenge,” Memarian said. “The appointment was a sign of anxiety, not confidence.” And finally, preparations for unrest may extend beyond who controls the streets to how those streets themselves are designed. In some of Tehran’s most historic areas, the municipality is tearing up cobblestones and replacing them with asphalt. Iran International journalist Mehdi Sepahvand investigated what is happening and the long history of designing cities with security and social control in mind. “They are creating plain sight and direct shooting range for their forces,” Sepahvand said. His reporting examines why replacing cobblestones with asphalt could make it harder for protesters to congregate and easier for security forces and their vehicles to move through the streets. Taken together, the changes raise a bigger question: Is the Islamic Republic preparing not only for another confrontation abroad, but for the possibility of major unrest at home? And when the war ends, what happens at home? Watch Eye for Iran every Friday for three segments on the stories shaping Iran and its future. Subscribe on YouTube or listen on the podcast platform of your choice. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 02:41 CHAPTER 1: Inside the CIA’s Iran Playbook Mark Fowler — decorated former CIA case officer, Iran specialist and former Chief of Station Fowler spent 22 years at the CIA, rising to the number two position on Iran and Iraq. He explains how human intelligence on Iran actually works, how intelligence reaches the president and why he believes the US and Iran have entered a “test of wills.” 34:35 CHAPTER 2 — Who Really Controls Iran Now? Kamran Bokhari — Senior Resident Fellow, Middle East Policy Council and Strategic Forecaster Jason Brodsky — Policy Director, United Against Nuclear Iran Omid Memarian — Senior Iran Analyst, DAWN The panel breaks down the return of Iran’s old guard, the unanswered questions surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei and whether the IRGC is consolidating power. Bokhari argues there has been an “undeclared coup by the Guard,” while Memarian says the appointments reveal a regime preparing simultaneously for conflict abroad and unrest at home. 1:07:41 CHAPTER 3 - Tehran Is Redesigning Its Streets for Protest Mehdi Sepahvand — Iran International journalist Sepahvand investigates why Tehran is replacing cobblestones with asphalt in historic pedestrian areas. His reporting connects the changes to security control, including making it easier for security vehicles to move through protest areas and creating clearer lines of sight for forces #iran #irgc #cia #iranprotests #iranwar #mojtabakhamenei #iranpodcast #irannews #youtubeshorts #youtube #news #podcast

How Iran is preparing for a domestic war against its own people | Eye for Iran | EP 116 |

Can the Islamic Republic survive a deepening economic crisis, growing resistance at home and a war with the United States? On this week’s episode of Eye for Iran, British-Iranian comedian Omid Djalili and Iran International’s Arash Sohrabi examine the dark humor spreading across Iran as people struggling to afford basic necessities publicly mock the regime and turn its own language of fear against it. Djalili explains why he believes the phenomenon shows that “the fear is gone.” The episode also looks at what Washington is prepared to do to help Iranians challenge the Islamic Republic. After President Donald Trump told Iranians that “the hour of your freedom is at hand” and urged them to take over their government once the US is “finished,” Middle East expert Dr. Eric Mandel examines what those words could mean in practice, particularly amid reports that the US-Iran war could continue through the end of Trump’s presidency. Finally, Eye for Iran examines the hidden cost of surviving Iran’s crackdowns. Shahin Abdolghaderi, who was shot in the head with hundreds of pellets during the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, and her son Ardalan Mameh describe the chronic pain, displacement and uncertainty they still live with nearly four years later. Their story offers a chilling warning of what may lie ahead for survivors wounded in Iran’s January 8 and 9 crackdown. Guests: Omid Djalili, Arash Sohrabi, Dr. Eric Mandel, Dr. Sara Raza, Shahin Abdolghaderi and Ardalan Mameh. Chapters: 00:00 — Iranians mock Islamic Republic as economic crisis fuels resistance Guests: Omid Djalili and Arash Sohrabi 37:10 — Trump tells Iranians to “take over your government” as war drags on Guest: Dr. Eric Mandel 1:00:07 — The hidden cost of surviving Iran’s crackdowns Guests: Shahin Abdolghaderi, Ardalan Mameh and Dr. Sara Raza #iran #iraneconomy #iranuswar #trump #iranprotests #iranpodcast #news #youtubeshorts #youtube #podcast

Iranians turn on the regime as fear wanes: Is the ‘hour of freedom’ near? | Eye for Iran | EP 120 |

Iran is still striking back — but is Tehran choosing smaller attacks, or are its military options narrowing? Former CENTCOM commander Gen. Joseph Votel, now a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, and Farzin Nadimi, Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, examine why Iran is turning to sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, what it reveals about its remaining military capabilities, and how Tehran may still try to make the conflict painful for the United States and its regional partners. Then, inside Iran, the pressure is coming from somewhere else. Inflation and shortages are squeezing families while the state prepares to meet renewed unrest with force. Iranian-American economist Ali Dadpay, based in Texas, and Kamran Bokhari, Strategic Forecaster and Senior Resident Fellow with the Middle East Policy Council in Washington, ask: how long can force contain an economic crisis that keeps getting worse? And finally, a very different sign of a regime under pressure. After nearly two decades abroad, musician Mohsen Namjoo is back in Iran despite having crossed some of the Islamic Republic’s most sensitive religious and political red lines. Iranian popular-culture expert Siavash Rokni and historian Shahram Kholdi examine what his return reveals about a system willing to bend its own ideological rules when it needs to. Military power. Economic survival. Ideological retreat. This week on Eye for Iran. Subscribe here and never miss an episode. Eye for Iran is out every Friday — watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 02:12 — Iran turns to sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz | Gen. Joseph Votel & Farzin Nadimi 22:59 — Iran’s economic crisis and the threat of unrest | Ali Dadpay & Kamran Bokhari 46:51 — Mohsen Namjoo’s return to Iran: What does it reveal? | Siavash Rokni & Shahram Kholdi #iran #hormuz #usa #mines #economy #iraneconomy #inflation #iranprotests #namjoon

Why Iran is turning to sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz | Eye for Iran | EP 119 |

Iran’s oil revenues could effectively fall to zero within months if the US blockade holds, according to Kpler senior oil analyst Homayoun Falakshahi. On this episode of Eye for Iran, Falakshahi and former US Treasury OFAC official Max Meizlish examine Washington’s expanding economic pressure campaign, China’s crucial role in buying Iranian oil, the financial networks running through Hong Kong and Dubai, and whether the United States is actually prepared to close the regime’s remaining sanctions-evasion routes. But what happens when economic pressure on the Islamic Republic also deepens the suffering of ordinary Iranians? With inflation soaring, food prices climbing and gasoline shortages worsening, the discussion turns to the possibility of renewed unrest — and the danger of another violent crackdown. Then, a letter expressing solidarity with Iran’s political prisoners triggers an extraordinary ideological backlash. Human rights advocates Gissou Nia and Roya Boroumand and journalist Jay Solomon examine why condemning the imprisonment and torture of Iranians has become entangled in arguments over American imperialism, Israel and the legacy of the 1979 revolution — and what political prisoners actually endure inside and outside Iran. Finally, journalist Mohamed Fahmy who has been in and out of Lebanon this month tells us how Hezbollah can resist disarmament and Tehran’s influence remains deeply entrenched. After speaking with Lebanese people across the country, Fahmy asks whether Iran has really lost its grip on Lebanon — and who ultimately speaks for the Lebanese state. Watch this week’s episode of Eye for Iran — and subscribe so you never miss a new episode, out every Friday. You can also listen to Eye for Iran on your favorite podcast platform. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 02:02 CHAPTER 1: Iran’s economic endgame: Can Washington choke off Tehran’s lifelines? Max Meizlish & Homayoun Falakshahi — Iran’s oil revenues could fall to zero 32:54 CHAPTER 2 :Why defending Iran’s political prisoners became controversial Gissou Nia, Roya Boroumand & Jay Solomon 53:31 CHAPTER 3: Hezbollah, Iran and the battle over Lebanon’s future Mohamed Fahmy #Iran #IranNews #IranEconomy #StraitOfHormuz #Oil #OilPrices #Sanctions #Hezbollah #Lebanon #PoliticalPrisoners #HumanRights #EyeForIran

Oil is flowing through Hormuz again. But not for Iran | Eye for Iran | EP 118 |

Could Iran’s crackdown leave behind a generation with permanent disabilities and dependent on opioids for chronic pain? Dr. Sarah Raza, a trauma physician helping wounded protesters inside Iran, has documented hundreds of metal pellets embedded in victims’ bodies, including a six-year-old with pellets lodged in his face and skull. Her warning: “This is making someone’s body a prison.” Iran feels the pressure, but will it bend? Raz Zimmt of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) says Tehran increasingly recognizes the economic situation is working against it, yet its leadership may still view another war with the United States as preferable to concessions it considers capitulation. We examine what that calculation could mean for what comes next. And 31 years for helping children: Afshin Heyratian, a Bahá’í children’s rights activist who devoted his life to helping some of Iran’s most vulnerable children, has received prison sentences totaling 31 years. His brother, Ramin Heyratian, tells us about the man behind the extraordinary punishment and the family fighting for him. Watch Eye for Iran, Episode 117, with Negar Mojtahedi. Subscribe for a new episode every Friday. Or listen on any podcast platform. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 02:26 CHAPTER 1: Dr. Sarah Raza | Iran’s generation at risk of permanent disability and opioid dependence A trauma physician documents the lifelong consequences of pellet injuries sustained during Iran’s crackdown. 20:31 CHAPTER 2 — Raz Zimmt | Why Iran’s regime may risk another war Despite mounting economic pressure, Tehran may see another war with the US as preferable to concessions it considers capitulation. 47:22 CHAPTER 3 - Ramin Heyratian - Afshin's brother | 31 years in prison for helping children Afshin Heyratian’s brother - Ramin- tells the story of the Bahá’í children’s rights activist facing decades behind bars. #iran #iranprotests #irgc #usa #hormuz #war #bahai

Iran’s crackdown risks creating a generation dependent on opioids | Eye for Iran | EP 117 |

Can financial pressure succeed where military strikes cannot? For months, the debate over Iran has focused on bombs, missiles and airstrikes. But what if the Islamic Republic's greatest vulnerability isn't military at all? In this episode of Eye for Iran, I sit down with Roger Macmillan, Counterterrorism and Security Specialist, and Miad Maleki, Senior US Sanctions Strategist, FDD Fellow and former US Treasury official, to explore why Iran's economy—and more specifically the regime's ability to pay the IRGC, Basij and its security apparatus—may be its greatest vulnerability. While the Islamic Republic has shown it can absorb military strikes, can it survive sustained financial pressure? Segment 2: Inside Iran’s sanctions-busting military supply networks Kerri Bittsoff, former senior official at the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), spent years targeting the financial and procurement pipelines behind Iran's drones, missiles and nuclear program, disrupting the regime's ability to develop, indigenize and source critical components. Most recently, she led efforts to expose and disrupt Tehran's military supply chain to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine. She explains how China and Russia have become critical lifelines for Tehran, helping the regime procure advanced weapons, finance its activities and evade sanctions. Segment 3: Is the IRGC becoming the state? Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and historian Shahram Kholdi examine how power inside Iran is shifting after the war. Has the IRGC eclipsed the country's civilian institutions? Is parliament becoming irrelevant? And what could the post-war power struggle mean for Iran's political future? If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe and share. Please let us know what you think in comments below. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 01:23 Roger Macmillan & Miad Maleki | Can Financial Pressure Break Iran? 13:44 Iran's Achilles' Heel 25:03 Kerri Bitsoff | Can the US Cut Off Iran's Lifelines? 26:43 China's Weapons Pipeline to Iran 30:03 How Iran Evades Sanctions 37:51 Russia's Role in Arming Iran 44:38 Are China and Russia Keeping Iran Alive? 45:19 Alex Vatanka, Behnam Ben Taleblu & Shahram Kholdi | Is the IRGC Taking Over Iran? 46:11 Has the IRGC Taken Over Iran? 53:28 Is the IRGC United? 1:00:57 Who Really Holds Power in Tehran? 1:07:20 Who Speaks for Mojtaba Khamenei? 1:13:22 Thanks for Watching #iran #iranuswar #scottbessent #china #russia #majlis #Iranpodcast #podcast #news #youtubeshorts #youtube #israel #ofac #middleeast

Bombs won't break Iran's regime, but money might | Eye for Iran | EP 115 |

Industrial cranes are meant to build cities. In Iran, they are increasingly being used as gallows. The public hanging of Amirhossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi in Isfahan has become a symbol of Iran's escalating execution campaign. As the world focuses on war, Iran is accelerating executions—prompting growing concern among human rights advocates and legal experts. In this episode of Eye for Iran, Professor Payam Akhavan, former UN Prosecutor and Human Rights Chair at Massey College, explains why he believes these are not lawful executions but arbitrary killings that may amount to crimes against humanity under international law. "These are killings. They are murders. There is no legal justification whatsoever for these killings." — Professor Payam Akhavan We then examine President Donald Trump's repeated promise to "finish the job" in Iran. What does that mean in practical terms? Admiral Robert Harward (Ret.), former Deputy Commander of US Central Command, and Blaise Misztal, Vice President of Policy at JINSA, discuss the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear program and Washington's strategic objectives. "Changing the government in Tehran has to be the ultimate end state." — Admiral Robert Harward (Ret.) "I don't think President Trump would consider this war concluded until steps have been taken to ensure that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon." — Blaise Misztal Finally, Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute, and Nicole Grajewski, Assistant Professor at Sciences Po, analyze Ukraine's unprecedented strike on an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea and what it reveals about the growing convergence between the wars in Ukraine and Iran. "Perhaps the Iranians are thinking this was the West... using Ukraine as a way of sending a signal." — Alex Vatanka "The clear purpose... was to highlight how involved both Russia and Iran are in their respective wars." — Nicole Grajewski Guests Guests • Professor Payam Akhavan — Former UN Prosecutor; Human Rights Chair, Massey College, University of Toronto • Admiral Robert Harward (Ret.) — Former Deputy Commander, US Central Command • Blaise Misztal — Vice President of Policy, JINSA • Alex Vatanka — Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute • Nicole Grajewski — Assistant Professor, Sciences Po Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:04 Segment 1 | Professor Payam Akhavan Former UN Prosecutor | Human Rights Chair, Massey College 02:04 Iran's Public Hangings Return 06:06 Why Is Iran Escalating Executions? 08:00 The Courage of Iran's Protesters 11:00 "These Are Murders," Says Former UN Prosecutor 16:21 Who Could Be Prosecuted? 17:56 Preserving Evidence for Future Trials 21:11 Extermination vs. Genocide 22:57 Responding to Massacre Deniers 28:42 Segment 2 | Admiral Robert Harward & Blaise Misztal Former Deputy Commander, US Central Command | Vice President of Policy, JINSA 28:42 What Does Trump Mean by "Finish the Job"? 31:20 Why Give Iran More Time? 34:11 Does "Finish the Job" Mean Regime Change? 40:33 Military Pressure vs. Iran's Internal Crackdown 45:01 Pickaxe Mountain and Netanyahu 50:51 Can Iran Rebuild? 56:18 What's Next for Iran? 59:19 Boots on the Ground? 01:02:57 Segment 3 | Alex Vatanka & Nicole Grajewski Middle East Institute | Sciences Po 01:02:57 Ukraine Strikes an Iranian Ship 01:03:39 Was the Caspian Strike a Warning? 01:08:33 Is Ukraine Acting as a Proxy? 01:12:28 Will the Caspian Sea Become Militarized? 01:16:08 How Ukraine Changed Iran-Russia Relations 01:20:13 What's Next for Iran, Russia and Ukraine? 01:25:30 Closing Remarks #iran #iranexecutions #humanrights #trump #ukraine #russia #caspian #Iranpodcast #shorts #youtube #irannews

'Iran's executions are murders,' former UN prosecutor says | Eye for Iran | EP 114 |

What is the United States really trying to achieve with its expanding military campaign inside Iran? As US strikes move deeper into Iran, targeting military sites, logistics networks and critical infrastructure, many are asking: What is Washington's endgame? At the same time, executions inside Iran are accelerating as the world's attention remains fixed on the war, while Gulf states brace for what could come next. In Episode 113 of Eye for Iran, we examine what the US strikes on Iran really add up to, why executions are increasing during the conflict and how the war is reshaping security across the Persian Gulf. John Spencer — Executive Director of the Urban Warfare Institute, retired US Army officer and renowned war scholar — explains what the United States is trying to achieve inside Iran, why Bandar Abbas has become a strategic focus and whether Washington is preparing for a broader phase of the campaign. Azadeh Afsahi, founder of Iran House, Shahin Milani, Executive Director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, and Brandon Silver, Director of Policy and Projects at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, examine the surge in executions inside Iran and explain why they believe the Islamic Republic fears its own people as much as it fears foreign militaries. Why the Islamic Republic is using the war to ramp up executions as the worlds attention focus on the bombs and not the hangings. Saad Bin Tefla Al-Ajmi, former Minister of Information of Kuwait, explains how Gulf states are responding as the conflict moves closer to their borders, why Kuwait has become increasingly vulnerable and why he believes Iran faces its own "chalice of poison" moment. Subscribe to Eye for Iran for exclusive interviews, in-depth reporting and expert analysis on Iran, US-Iran relations, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf and global security. #iran #usiran #kuwait #war #podcast #news #iranpodcast #irannews

Are US strikes laying the groundwork for a wider Iran war? | Eye for Iran | EP 113 |

Why are US strikes moving deeper into southern Iran—and what is Washington really trying to achieve? As attacks hit bridges, transport links and facilities around Bandar Abbas and Chabahar, the conflict appears to be entering a more dangerous phase. At the same time, a leaked Iranian presidency report reveals record public anger, while new economic data shows that barely 37 percent of working-age Iranians have jobs. This week on Eye for Iran, three segments examine the military, political and economic pressures closing in on the Islamic Republic. SEGMENT ONE: WHY THE SOUTH? Rebeccah Heinrichs, Senior Fellow and Director of the Keystone Defense Initiative at Hudson Institute, examines why US strikes are moving deeper into southern Iran. What is the strategic importance of Chabahar, Bandar Abbas and Iran’s southern transport network? Are the attacks focused solely on weakening Tehran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz—or do they signal a broader US military strategy? Heinrichs also discusses President Donald Trump’s comments about possible ground troops and whether limited special operations could become part of the campaign. SEGMENT TWO: IRAN’S PRIVATE WARNING A confidential report prepared for Iran’s presidency records what it describes as the highest national anger level ever measured and finds that nine in ten Iranians want some form of change. Arash Sohrabi, Iran International reporter, Dr. Shahram Kholdi, Iran historian and Siavash Rokni, Iranian pop culture expert and political commentator, examine what the leaked report reveals about the country’s mood. They discuss collapsing trust, growing secular identity, widespread hopelessness and the striking gap between the patriotic unity shown on state television and what the government’s own survey found behind closed doors. The report recommends managing public anger—not addressing its underlying causes. Can the Islamic Republic contain a society that increasingly separates defending Iran from defending the regime? SEGMENT THREE: IRAN’S HIDDEN JOBS CRISIS Iran’s official unemployment rate is only 7.5 percent. Yet barely 37 percent of working-age Iranians are employed. Mohammad Machine-Chian, economist and Director of International Affairs at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, explains how millions of discouraged workers disappear from Iran’s unemployment statistics. He examines the impact of wartime job losses, Iran’s exceptionally low female labour-force participation and an economy expected to contract sharply. Could effective unemployment be approaching one in three—and how much more pressure can Iranian society absorb? Eye for Iran examines the latest developments in the US-Iran conflict, southern Iran, Chabahar, Bandar Abbas, the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s internal political crisis, public anger, unemployment and the future of the Islamic Republic. Subscribe for weekly interviews and analysis on Iran and the Mideast. #iran #usiran #chabaharport #straitofhormuz #iraneconomy #iranprotests #middleeast #geopolitics #eyeforIran #shorts #news #podcast #iranpodcast #youtube

Why are US strikes moving deeper into Iran? | Eye for Iran | EP 112 |

From Iran International comes the 'Eye for Iran' podcast, a weekly show that will take listeners beyond the headlines, deep into the Iran stories that matter most. With compelling interviews, expert analysis and high impact investigations, host Negar...

From Iran International comes the 'Eye for Iran' podcast, a weekly show that will take listeners beyond the headlines, deep into the Iran stories that matter most. With compelling interviews, expert analysis and high impact investigations, host Negar Mojtahedi examines the latest developments in and around Iran.

Eye For Iran

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