Prof. John Doyle and Dr Paola Rivetti

While coping with economic recession and an increasingly hostile regional theatre, in June 2021 Iranians will cast their vote in the presidential election. What would a possible conservative Revolutionary Guards-connected presidency mean for civil society opposition? What changes can we expect to see in Iran following Biden’s win? What role could the EU play in the diplomatic efforts towards Iran and the region? In this episode, Prof. John Doyle speaks to Dr Paola Rivetti about the upcoming elections, and what directions Iran’s domestic and regional politics are expected to go in the next future.

They discuss:

• 00:45 – What to expect over the next months in the build-up to the elections in Iran?
• 09:00 – The balance between the domestic vs international issues for the elections
• 13:45 – Can we expect a change in dynamics after the Biden-win?
• 19:40 – Changing US-Saudi relations and its effect on regional politics
• 22:45 – The role of Europe
• 27:00 – What would a conservative revolutionary-guards connected Presidency mean for civil society opposition?
• 36:30 – Can Iran aim to improve its economic situation domestically, if sanctions don’t change much?

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Dr Paola Rivetti is a lecturer at the School of Law and Government, Dublin City University. Her research interests focus on the dynamic of authoritarian resilience and democratization in the Middle East from a comparative perspective; on Iranian domestic politics, with particular attention to the politics of activism and dissent under authoritarian rule; and on diaspora politics and transnational activism, and their impact on the Iranian regime. Her book, “Political Participation in Iran from Khatami to the Green Movement” can be purchased here.