logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
49m 6s

Iran’s presidential election: What do th...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Iranians go to the polls next week to decide who’ll be the country’s next president. Hundreds of potential candidates were disqualified, some of whom represent the reform movement, leaving just seven men in the running. Whoever wins will inherit a dire economy, with one-in-ten Iranians unemployed, inflation running at roughly 50%, and growing queues to buy everyday items like chicken. The victor will also have to share power with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), and parliament. So what kind of mandate will he have? How democratic are the country’s elections? And what impact will the new leader’s policies have on Iran, its people and its place in the world? Ritula Shah is joined by a panel of Iranian guests.

Up next
Mar 2024
Bonus: Evan Gershkovich - a year since my friend was jailed in Russia
The Wall Street Journal reporter, who is the first US journalist charged with spying in Russia since the Cold War, has now been imprisoned for a year. His detention has been repeatedly extended and he is yet to face trial. His family, colleagues and the US government vehemently d ... Show More
24m 27s
Mar 2024
Is the future of journalism in crisis?
Over the past year thousands of journalists have lost their jobs as mass media news organisations struggle to make ends meet. Ad revenue is down, many publishers are struggling to gain subscribers, and social media has resulted in plummeting traffic to homepages. More than a thir ... Show More
48m 55s
Mar 2024
Bonus: Hidden reality of frontline combat through the eyes of Ukraine's soldiers
A bonus episode from The Global Story podcast.In a new BBC documentary, a single Ukrainian infantry company find themselves in a life or death battle to defend the eastern front against intense Russian attacks.Jamie Roberts tells us how he managed to get such rare access and what ... Show More
26m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
Iran is voting. Why the apathy?
It’s election day in Iran and for many, the question is not who to vote for, but whether to vote at all. Strong candidates were disqualified from running, and conservative Ebrahim Raisi is a clear frontrunner. The stakes are high: the winner of this election will lead Iran throug ... Show More
21 m
Jun 2023
Abdullah Mohtadi: What do Iran's Kurds want?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Abdullah Mohtadi, the leader of the Iranian Kurdish political movement Komala. From his exile in Iraq, he’s one of many voices calling for freedom and democracy in Iran. But what do Iran’s Kurds really want - more rights or independence? 
22m 57s
May 2024
Что будет с Ираном после смерти президента Раиси? И кому (внутри и вне страны) выгодна его гибель?
Вечером 19 мая в Иране потерпел крушение вертолет, на борту которого находились президент Ирана Ибрагим Раиси и ряд других высокопоставленных иранских чиновников. Утром 20 мая спасатели смогли добраться до места падения борта. Тогда же стало известно, что все находившиеся в верто ... Show More
39m 15s
Aug 2021
A new era for Iran
On August 5th, Iran inaugurated a new president putting an end to the 8-year presidency of reformist  Hassan Rouhani and ushered in a new, hard-line government. The new president, Ebrahim Raisi is said to be handpicked by the supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the man who controls Iran ... Show More
16m 48s
Mar 2024
Poor Reviews for Theatrical Elections: Iran’s low turnout for elections and Khamenei’s successor
At the start of March polling stations for Iran's legislative elections opened, and yet, very few Iranians turned up. It was a record low turnout, with just 40.64 percent of eligible voters casting their ballot.The low turnout reflected the discontent in the country, and the poor ... Show More
28m 29s
Feb 2021
Who Is Ali Khamenei?
Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is one of the most powerful and one of the most enigmatic people in the world. Often positioned as a primary global antagonist of the United States, Khamenei and his regime have endured five American presiden ... Show More
43m 28s
Mar 2023
Ayatollahs in Iran
In 1979, Iran’s pro-Western Shah was overthrown by Ayatollah Khomeini, ushering in the Iranian Revolution and Iran’s shift to an Islamic Republic. But the hope many people thought Khomeini represented, quickly soured as his zeal led to increasing amounts of oppression. And despit ... Show More
58m 47s
Feb 2021
Yemen may be best opportunity for regional diplomacy with Iran, says Mohsen Milani
Mohsen Milani, professor of politics at the University of South Florida and a leading scholar of Iranian politics, discusses why Iran is ready to talk with the US, and reenter the Iran nuclear deal, but only from a position of strength; why Iran is in a stronger regional position ... Show More
44m 58s
Feb 2024
120. The Iranian Revolution: The Rise of Ayatollah Khomeini
With the Last Shah’s reforms - known as the White Revolution - starting to take effect, Iran looked to be in a healthy position. Economic growth is strong, Tehran is a thriving cultural centre, and women now had the vote. Before long, however, the economy began to overheat and in ... Show More
41m 27s
Nov 2022
Iran Confronts Domestic and Regional Change
As the world watches, protests continue to rage across Iran. With protests continuing across the country, Dr Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI International Security Studies, to consider Iran’s future as it faces a changing regional ... Show More
37m 4s