The MERIP Podcast released an episode on June 18, 2026, featuring a dialogue between scholars Manijeh Moradian and Nazanin Shahrokni on the intersection of gender and revolution in Iran. The conversation, part of the Iran in Context series, was co-produced by MERIP, BRISMES, the British Society for Middle East Studies, and SeSaMO, the Italian Society for Middle East Studies. Moradian, an assistant professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College, and Shahrokni, an associate professor of International Studies at Simon Fraser University, discussed political and military developments in Iran over the past year.
The series, which includes academic collaborations across multiple institutions, aims to provide context for “political and military convulsions” in Iran. Moradian’s research, including her 2022 book *This Flame Within: Iranian Revolutionaries in the United States*, examines diasporic perspectives on revolutionary movements. Shahrokni’s work, such as *Women in Place: The Politics of Gender Segregation in Iran* (2020), focuses on gender dynamics within Iranian society. Both scholars have published recent analyses in academic journals, including *Meridians* and *Radical History Review*.
The episode was recorded as part of a broader effort to analyze Iran’s evolving socio-political landscape. Moradian’s contributions to *Meridians* in April 2026 and Shahrokni’s essay in *SPECTRE: A Marxist Journal* in March 2026 highlight ongoing scholarly engagement with gender and revolution. The podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music, is produced without advertisements or paywalls, with a call for donations to sustain the project.
The discussion reportedly addressed the role of gender in Iran’s recent upheavals, including the 2022 protests following the death of Jina Mahsa Amini. Scholars referenced feminist collectives like *Feminists for Jina*, which have mobilized international attention. Shahrokni’s research on gender segregation and Moradian’s focus on transnational feminist solidarities provided frameworks for analyzing these events. No specific policy outcomes or institutional responses were detailed in the recorded conversation.
The Iran in Context series is scheduled to continue with additional events featuring academic perspectives. The June 2026 episode marked the first in a planned series of discussions on Iran’s political and social transformations. Listeners are directed to supplementary readings, including works by the participants and related academic publications.
