Are we witnessing the “North Koreanization” of the Islamic Republic of Iran? From the growing presence of Basij paramilitary forces in elementary schools to the sentencing of musicians and the accelerating use of executions against those detained in connection with January’s uprising, repression inside Iran appears to be intensifying. Just this week, two protesters detained following the January unrest were executed. But every society has a red line. Has Iran reached its own? This week on Eye for Iran, we look beyond the possibility of another war with the United States or a new diplomatic deal to examine the forces unfolding inside Iran — and what they may tell us about the direction of the Islamic Republic itself. Former US diplomat Alberto Fernandez, vice president of the Middle East Media Research Institute, warns of what he calls the “North Koreanization” or “Houthization” of Iran: a system that survives, but as a poorer, harsher and increasingly hollowed-out state. “It doesn’t mean that the regime falls tomorrow,” Fernandez says, but if it survives, Iran could become “a more ramshackle predatory state” in which repression becomes increasingly overt. Kamran Bokhari, strategic forecaster and senior resident fellow at the Middle East Policy Council, sees what he calls a “slow meltdown,” arguing that the regime’s fundamental challenge is not simply war but governance and the economy. And there are limits to repression, he says: used on too great a scale, it can “backfire” and eventually raise questions even within the security forces. David Patrikarakos, special correspondent for the Daily Mail and author of Nuclear Iran: The Birth of an Atomic State, points to an even more basic indicator: whether ordinary Iranians can afford to live. “You can only terrorize people back into their homes for so many things,” he says. “If they’re starving, they can’t afford food, there’s nothing you can do.” Together, the three experts identify the trends they are watching most closely — economic pressure, the cost of basic goods, internal regime infighting, unrest and the limits of the state’s coercive power — and what those indicators could reveal about what comes next for Iran. We then turn from repression to resistance. Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, editor and co-translator of Open Wide the Doors, the new memoir by acclaimed Iranian poet, writer and Baha’i prisoner of conscience Mahvash Sabet, discusses decades of persecution faced by Iran’s Baha’i community and Sabet’s philosophy of “constructive resilience.” Nakhjavani describes it not as passive resistance, nor as aggression, but as a purposeful refusal to allow repression to define the individual. She connects Sabet’s experience in prison to a broader transformation she sees taking place in Iran, particularly since the Woman, Life, Freedom movement: the moment when people establish a red line and say, “thus far and no further.” Finally, we examine a viral political exchange in Michigan that struck a nerve among many Iranians. University of Michigan student Iman Dashti questioned Democratic US Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed at a town hall over whether he stood unequivocally against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. El-Sayed said he stood with movements for freedom and democracy and opposed US-led regime change, but Dashti says the answer did not address the specific question he had asked about the IRGC. “I never asked about regime change,” Dashti told Iran International after the exchange. His question, he says, was fundamentally about whether an American political candidate would explicitly stand with Iranians facing repression. Dashti joins Eye for Iran to explain why he asked the question, why the exchange resonated so widely and what happened after the video went viral — including the harassment, threats and alleged doxxing of members of his family that he says followed. Despite that reaction, Dashti says the response has been overwhelmingly supportive. From the machinery of repression to the limits of fear, this episode asks a larger question: how long can a state tighten its grip before the very tools it uses to survive begin working against it? Chapters: 02:31 Is Iran Becoming North Korea? Experts examine escalating repression, economic pressure and the warning signs that could reveal where the Islamic Republic is heading. Guests: Ambassador Alberto Fernandez, Kamran Bokhari and David Patrikarakos 23:37: Iran’s Red Line: Resistance Under Repression What decades of Baha’i persecution — and Mahvash Sabet’s prison memoir — reveal about “constructive resilience” and the limits of fear. Guest: Bahiyyih Nakhjavani 43:46 : The IRGC Question That Went Viral The Iranian-American student who challenged Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed explains why he asked the question — and what happened afterward. Guest: Iman Dashti #iran #irgc #Baháʼí #abdulelsayed #michigan #podcast #iranian #news #youtubeshorts #youtube

Is Iran becoming North Korea — or can society stop it? | Eye for Iran | EP 123 |

Is the Islamic Republic running out of time? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emerged from a closely contested election promising to eliminate the Iranian threat once and for all. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have dispatched senior officials to Tehran amid fears of another war. And in an exclusive interview with Iran International, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts Iran's economy could shrink by more than 25% in a single year. With oil revenues drying up, economic pressures mounting and renewed US and Israeli strikes looming, could the Islamic Republic be approaching a turning point? On this episode of Eye for Iran, host Negar Mojtahedi brings together nine journalists, economists and regional experts to examine the military, diplomatic and economic pressures converging on Tehran. Israel's Election: What Comes Next for Iran? Netanyahu's Likud has emerged as Israel's largest party, but forming a government remains a challenge. With Netanyahu promising to confront the Islamic Republic alongside President Donald Trump, what might the election mean for Israel's next moves against Iran? And would a change of government make any difference? Dan Feferman, Middle East researcher and co-founder of Middle East 24; Alex Winston, news editor of The Jerusalem Post; and Benjamin "Benji" Basire, Iranian-born Jewish legal scholar and host of The Benji Show, discuss Netanyahu's political future, Israel's military options and the significance of the election for Iranians. The Mecca Defense Pact: Can Regional Powers Prevent Another War? Saudi Arabia's defense minister, Pakistan's army chief and Turkey's intelligence chief have visited Tehran amid escalating Houthi attacks and fears of renewed US and Israeli military action. What prompted this unusual diplomatic initiative, and what can the three countries realistically achieve? Henri Barkey, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; historian Shahram Kholdi; and Saad bin Tefla Al-Ajmi, Kuwait's former information minister, examine the motives behind the visit, the military capabilities of the Mecca Defense Pact and the prospects for averting another regional war. Iran's Economic Crisis: Could the Economy Shrink by 25%? In an exclusive interview with Iran International, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicts Iran's economy could contract by more than 25% by March 2027, exceeding the contraction recorded during the first year of the Iran-Iraq War. He also warns of further US economic pressure. With oil exports effectively halted and access to foreign currency increasingly restricted, what would such a contraction mean for ordinary Iranians and the country's political stability? Kambiz Tavana, the Iran International journalist who interviewed Bessent; economist Mohammad Machine-Chian; and Miad Maleki, former US Treasury official and expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, examine Washington's strategy, Iran's deteriorating economic outlook and the potential political consequences. Watch Eye for Iran on YouTube or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms. Chapters: 01:53 Chapter 1: Israel's Election: Will Netanyahu finish the job in Iran? Dan Feferman, Middle East researcher and co-founder of Middle East 24 Alex Winston, News Editor, The Jerusalem Post Benjamin “Benji” Basire, Iranian-born Jewish legal scholar, political analyst and host of The Benji Show 24:35 Chapter 2: The Mecca Defense Pact: Can regional powers prevent another war? Henri Barkey, Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Dr. Shahram Kholdi, Middle East historian Professor Saad bin Tefla Al-Ajmi, Kuwait's former Information Minister 54:32 Chapter 3: Iran's Economic Crisis: What would a 25% collapse mean? Kambiz Tavana, Iran International journalist Mohammad Machine-Chian, Iran International economist Miad Maleki, former US Treasury official and expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies #iran #israel #unitedstates #israelielections #usmidtermelections #meccapact #houthi #saudiarabia #türkiye #pakistan #scottbessent #operationeconomicoutcast #economicwarfare #economy #iranpodcast #news #irannews #youtubeshorts #youtube

Israel’s next PM: Can they ‘finish the job’ in Iran? | Eye for Iran | EP 127 |

Israel is days away from its first election since the October 7 attacks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he would bring down the Islamic Republic if he wins. Is that a policy pledge or election rhetoric? And if he loses, would his rivals pursue a different strategy toward Iran? On this episode of Eye for Iran, host Negar Mojtahedi brings together four experts speaking from Israel: Yaakov Katz, former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post; Vivian Bercovici, Canada's former ambassador to Israel; Itai Reuveni of NGO Monitor; and Dr. Eric Mandel, founder of the Middle East Political and Information Network. They examine what the election could mean for Israel’s war with Iran and whether regime change is an achievable goal. We also look at armed clashes in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan. Rahim Bandoui of the Baluchistan People's Party and human rights advocate Sabah Baloch discuss decades of discrimination and repression, the human cost of the conflict and whether a long-running insurgency could become part of a broader challenge to the Islamic Republic. And finally, a firsthand account from Bahrain. Author and peace activist Fatima Al-Harbi recalls waking to the sound of missiles as Iran attacked her country, and describes how the experience changed her understanding of the Islamic Republic, Iranian-backed militias and the use of religion to justify political violence. Three conversations, one question: with pressure mounting from outside and within, what comes next for Iran’s rulers and ruled? Watch Eye for Iran with Negar Mojtahedi for expert analysis, firsthand accounts and perspectives on the forces shaping Iran's future, or listen on any podcast platform. Chapters: 02:34 | Israel's Election: Will Netanyahu finish the job against the Islamic Republic? Guests: Yaakov Katz, Vivian Bercovici, Itai Reuveni and Dr. Eric Mandel 30:59 | Baluchistan's armed conflict: Could it threaten the Islamic Republic? Guests: Rahim Bandoui and Sabah Baloch 52:51 | Bahrain under attack: A peace activist speaks out Guest: Fatima Al-Harbi #netanyahu #iran #israel #balochistan #bahrain #iranuswar #iranregimechange #islamicrepublic #trump #irannews #middleeast #youtubeshorts #podcast #iranpodcast #iraninternational #eyeforiran

Will Israel's election decide Iran's fate? | Eye for Iran | EP 126 |

It began with an invitation to a conference in Lebanon. Young Yemeni activists believed they were going to discuss democracy and the Arab Spring. But behind the scenes, according to one of those involved in Yemen’s uprising, Hezbollah operatives were recruiting sympathizers for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Some would eventually travel to Tehran. Others would help build the Houthis’ political apparatus. Now, as the Iran-backed Houthis attack Saudi airports and threaten another vital global shipping route, the consequences of that recruitment campaign are coming into sharper focus. This week on Eye for Iran, host Negar Mojtahedi uncovers three disturbing dimensions of the Islamic Republic’s methods of maintaining power — from covert influence operations abroad to executions, judicial repression and disinformation at home. Baraa Shiban, Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a former Yemeni pro-democracy activist who negotiated with the Houthis, delivers a remarkable firsthand account of Iran’s early involvement in Yemen. He describes Hezbollah recruitment networks, meetings with IRGC handlers, ideological indoctrination and the moment he realized the Houthis were not the democratic partners they claimed to be. He also recounts witnessing entire villages destroyed and families forced from their homes. With the Houthis now opening another front in the wider Iran war, Shiban explains why he believes Tehran has activated them at this particular moment. Inside Iran, the crackdown is taking another alarming turn. As protesters face execution, the lawyers defending them are increasingly becoming targets themselves. Tatyana Eatwell, UK-based international human rights lawyer who helped represent Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe; Roya Boroumand, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran; and Brandon Silver, Director of Policy and Projects at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, examine how the Islamic Republic uses its courts to legitimize repression. Why arrest the very lawyers tasked with defending prisoners? And could the judges and prosecutors responsible eventually face international accountability? Finally, what happens when a government can spread its version of events faster than investigators can establish the truth? Shahin Milani, Executive Director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC), reveals findings from a new investigation into the Islamic Republic’s disinformation machinery following January’s deadly protests. From contradictory accounts of a young girl’s killing to accusations of Mossad involvement and the government's disputed death toll, Milani traces how narratives spread through state media, IRGC-affiliated outlets, Telegram and X — and how they can reach international audiences. Three revealing conversations. One central question: How far will the Islamic Republic go to preserve its power, both inside Iran and beyond its borders? Watch Eye for Iran for firsthand testimony, original investigations and expert analysis of the forces shaping Iran and the Middle East. Chapters: 02:36 Segment 1: Baraa Shiban | How Iran and Hezbollah Built Influence Inside Yemen 30:17 Segment 2: Tatyana Eatwell, Roya Boroumand & Brandon Silver | Iran’s Executions and the War on Lawyers 1:09:04 Segment 3: Shahin Milani | Inside the Islamic Republic’s Disinformation Machine #iran #houthi #saudiarabia #yemen #executionmatters #deathpenaltydebate #irannews #podcast #news #humanrights

How Iran secretly built the Houthis — an insider reveals the playbook | Eye for Iran | EP 125 |

Iran has survived revolution, war and decades of sanctions without losing its oil revenue entirely. That could change in December. For the first time in Iran's history, revenue from crude oil and condensate exports could fall to ZERO by mid-December if the US blockade continues, according to new analysis from Kpler. The Islamic Republic stands to lose as much as $6 billion a month. But will unprecedented economic pressure force Tehran to compromise, or is its leadership prepared to fight to the bitter end? This week on Eye for Iran, Negar Mojtahedi explores three extraordinary stories that raise troubling questions about the Islamic Republic's future. Why is Tehran accelerating its executions? Khosro Esfahani, Research Director at NUFDI, examines the regime's escalating use of the death penalty following January's anti-government protests. He argues that the leadership's apocalyptic worldview helps explain its willingness to embrace endless conflict, even at the cost of devastating consequences for Iran. Just how far is it prepared to go? Could Iran's oil money disappear by December? Homayoun Falakshahi, Head of Crude Oil Analysis at Kpler, reveals why Iran could be approaching an unprecedented financial turning point. With oil exports effectively halted, can Tehran find a way around the US blockade? What happens to the economy, the regime's regional allies and its negotiating position with Washington if billions in oil revenue vanish? Imprisoned for being poor. Shahin Milani, Executive Director of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, exposes the largely forgotten Iranians held behind bars over unpaid debts. Some have spent years in prison without a criminal conviction. As economic conditions worsen, could thousands more face the same fate? From the regime's execution campaign to the potential disappearance of its oil lifeline, this episode asks a fundamental question: What happens when an increasingly isolated leadership faces unprecedented pressure but refuses to change course? Watch the full episode of Eye for Iran for exclusive interviews and analysis of Iran's executions, the US oil blockade, sanctions evasion, the Islamic Republic's ideology and the country's deepening economic crisis. Chapters: 02:48 Segment 1 | Khosro Esfahani Iran's escalating executions: Why the Islamic Republic's leadership is prepared to fight to the bitter end. 22:07 Segment 2 | Homayoun Falakshahi Iran's oil revenue could hit zero by December for the first time in history. What happens next? 46:31 Segment 3 | Shahin Milani Iran's forgotten prisoners: Thousands jailed over unpaid debts, sometimes for years. #iran #hormuz #oil #executions #debt #prison #iranian #news #podcast #irannews #youtubeshorts #youtube

Iran’s oil revenue could hit ZERO by December —first time in history | Eye for Iran | EP 124 |

President Donald Trump has subjected Iran to extraordinary military and economic pressure. Its leadership has been battered, its economy squeezed, its oil trade disrupted and its regional network weakened. Yet the Islamic Republic remains in power — and Washington has yet to translate that pressure into a clear political outcome. So what is Trump waiting for? This week on Eye for Iran, former US diplomat Ludovic Hood examines what would actually have to happen for pressure on Tehran to produce political change — and why he believes the confrontation with Iran still has more chapters to come. Ilan Berman of the American Foreign Policy Council argues the war may already have changed who wields power inside Iran, accelerating the Revolutionary Guards’ consolidation of control and altering how Tehran operates across the region. And former US Treasury official Max Meizlish asks why Washington isn't using more of its financial leverage over China, Iran’s most important economic lifeline. His conclusion raises an even bigger question: after months of military and economic pressure, what exactly is America’s endgame for Iran? Iran is under pressure. The question now is what Washington intends to do with it. Chapters: 02:09 Trump, Iran and the search for an endgame Ludovic Hood — Former US Diplomat; Hudson Institute US-Iran talks over Hormuz and the blockade are active, while major differences remain over how to wind down the war. 32:51 Who holds power in Tehran after seven months of war? Ilan Berman — Senior Vice President, American Foreign Policy Council Iran is simultaneously negotiating over Hormuz while threatening further escalation, including through the Red Sea. 54:55 Trump, Xi and China’s lifeline to Iran Max Meizlish — Research Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Former US Treasury Official Trump has just hosted Xi in Washington while pressure is mounting over Chinese purchases of Iranian oil and alleged Chinese support involving weapons components and other material. #iran #trump #unga #iraneconomy #irgc #iranwar #china #airlines #xijinping

Trump has Iran cornered. So what is he waiting for? | Eye for Iran | EP 122 |

They were 19 when they took to the streets. They turned 20 behind bars. Now one twin has been sentenced to death — and the other to decades in prison. Taraneh and Romina Rahimi joined Iran’s January uprising in Isfahan. Their cousin, Masoud Nourmohammadi, says the sisters were tortured and forced to confess. Taraneh now faces execution, while Romina has been sentenced to decades behind bars. As their family fights to save them, Masoud says he and his children are also receiving death threats for speaking publicly about their case. Their story comes four years after the death of Mahsa “Jina” Amini ignited the Woman, Life, Freedom movement and changed the trajectory of protest in Iran. Iran International journalists Shervin Shahrestani and Azadeh Akbari look at what that movement left behind — from women openly defying compulsory hijab to a generation that discovered the power of collective action. Could January’s massive nationwide uprising have happened without it? And what did the Islamic Republic learn from 2022? And beyond Iran’s borders, another pressure point is emerging. As the Houthis make their biggest military gains in Yemen in years, Yemeni-American analyst Fatima Abo Alasrar explains why she believes the timing is no coincidence — and why Tehran may see the Red Sea as another source of leverage in its economic confrontation with Washington. How far can Iran push Saudi Arabia before that leverage becomes a liability? Chapters: 02:50 One twin sentenced to death, the other to decades in prison Guest: Masoud Nourmohammadi 25:13 Four years after Mahsa Amini: What did Woman, Life, Freedom change? Guests: Shervin Shahrestani & Azadeh Akbari 49:42 Why are the Houthis escalating now — and what does Iran want? Guest: Fatima Abo Alasrar #iran #iranprotests #mahsaamini #houthi #humanrights #babalmandab #hormuz #yemen #saudiarabia #iranian #hijab

Twins sentenced in Iran: one to death, one to prison | Eye for Iran | EP 121 |

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 |

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

Share