Iran Has Always Been More Than the Islamic Republic
An Iranian journalist reflects on the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, considering decades of failed sanctions, diaspora authoritarianism and the civilizational story that nobody told.
The Unresolved Contradictions Ali Khamenei Leaves Behind
Ali Khamenei’s journey took him from literary modernism to revolutionary Islamism. With the supreme leader’s death, Iranians are left to reckon with the political order he shaped and the unresolved contradictions he leaves behind. The impending succession now places the Islamic republic’s future in question.
In the Shadow of the Ayatollah’s Death, War Comes to Iran
Journalist Negar Mortazavi and historian Arash Azizi join Faisal Al Yafai to discuss the US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the future of the Islamic republic.
War, Emigration and the Search for Love in Lebanon
After years of war, economic collapse and mass emigration, Lebanon’s dating pool has shrunk and sectarian pressures remain deeply entrenched. Yet, from niche dating apps to blind dates, young Lebanese are finding new ways to look for love.
Saudi Arabia’s Coffee Renaissance
Coffee in Saudi Arabia has never been just a drink, and now a specialty cafe boom is renewing the tradition of coffeehouses as spaces for culture, conversation and community.