logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2025
45m 33s

Iran and the U.S., Part Three: Soleimani...

NPR
About this episode
The Iran-Iraq war, 9/11, and the story of Iranian Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani, from his rise to power, to his assassination, by the U.S., to the power his legacy wields now.

This episode originally ran as Soleimani's Iran. You can find more of Throughline's coverage into the origins of the conflict in the Middle East here.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
A History of Hamas
With peace talks once again underway between Israel and Hamas, and hopes again growing for a permanent ceasefire, we’re bringing you our episode on the origins of Hamas: where it came from, how its influence grew, and what it represents. Next week, our episode on Benjamin Netanya ... Show More
50m 13s
Oct 2
From the Frontlines
Journalism is under unprecedented threat worldwide. At least 220 journalists have been killed in Gaza alone since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel; the Committee to Protect Journalists says it’s the deadliest conflict for journalists the group has ever documented. ... Show More
51m 44s
Sep 30
Throughline Sleeps
Life can be tough. Every day brings new challenges. And in order to get through the waking hours we need rest. Good quality sleep. In this bonus episode, a companion to our episode "The Way We Dream," we offer you a 30-minute audio journey into the deep. A smooth trip into the pl ... Show More
30 m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 31
The United States vs. Iran
Fareed Zakaria hosts a detailed special tracing the historical conflict between the United States and Iran, starting with a dramatization of a B-2 bomber strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The narrative revisits the pivotal 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, emphasizing its roots in ... Show More
48m 6s
Jun 2025
Iran Pt. 1: A Socialist Introduction w/ Séamus Malekafzali [BONUS]
As seems to be the case with most of the countries that the United States goes to war with—much of the population here doesn’t know very much about those countries. And what they do know is usually Western propaganda, misinformation, or outright lies. This couldn’t be more true w ... Show More
1h 45m
Aug 4
How The 1979 Revolution Transformed Iran
For decades, Iran has been an adversary of the United States. Scott Anderson examines the Iranian revolution of 1979, the upheaval that deposed the reigning monarch and transformed the country from a U.S. ally to an Islamic Republic. He says blunders by American policymakers play ... Show More
44m 41s
Nov 2024
What's Next for Iran? ClubGPF Bonus with Kamran Bokhari
Israel’s decimation of Hezbollah’s leadership and war-making capabilities has paved the way for a massive altering of the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. After decades on the offensive, Iran has suffered a major setback in its strategy for the region. GPF contributor K ... Show More
8m 2s
Nov 2024
1. The First CIA Coup: Oil, Iran, and MI6 (Ep 1)
Welcome... to the first episode of The Rest Is Classified! It's Iran 1951. Mohammad Mossadegh, fuelled by an ever-growing nationalism, has just been elected Prime Minister. Immediately he chooses to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, much to the anger of the British who c ... Show More
44m 25s
Nov 2024
Mohammad Ali Shabani: Iran After October 7
This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.media, a London-based news site focusing on Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula countries. Together, they discuss Iran’s regional strategy and the choices Iran has after a year of rising regional ... Show More
44m 17s
May 2024
Israel and Iran: How to Prevent a Regional War
The recent attacks by Iran and Israel on one another’s territory have taken the strategic rivalry between these two adversaries into uncharted and dangerous territory. The unprecedented strikes seem to have been contained for now, but it’s by no means certain that this state will ... Show More
47m 9s
May 2025
What's happening between the U.S. and Iran?
In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with analyst Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute about Iran and the U.S. Their conversation spans from exploring decision-making authority and processes in Iran to the impact that U.S. sanctions have on ordinary ... Show More
58m 36s
Dec 2018
The Shah And The Ayatollah Part I
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi became the Shah of Iran at twenty-two years of age. He would go from a powerless figurehead to one of the most powerful monarchs in the region. However, the Shah was brought down by an obscure Shiite scholar name Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In this epi ... Show More
1h 4m
Jan 2025
Wars of Ambition (S. 14, Ep. 3)
On this week's episode of the podcast, Afshon Ostovar of the Naval Postgraduate School joins Marc Lynch to discuss his new book, Wars of Ambition: The United States, Iran, and the Struggle for the Middle East. This book offers a sweeping, comprehensive history of the post-9/11 wa ... Show More
1h 4m