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cover of episode Introducing "The Iran Reckoning with Afshon Ostovar"

Introducing "The Iran Reckoning with Afshon Ostovar"

2025/6/26
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War on the Rocks
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Afshan Ostovar
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Ryan Evans
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Afshan Ostovar: 我早期的中东和中亚旅行经历激发了我对伊斯兰激进主义和冲突的兴趣。在塔吉克斯坦的经历让我对伊斯兰主义、民兵、毒品走私以及各种犯罪和意识形态产生了浓厚的兴趣。回到学校后，我开始研究意识形态、伊斯兰激进主义、内战和冲突，最终专注于伊朗。我之所以研究伊朗革命卫队（IRGC）是因为我的教授建议，并且当时还没有人写过关于他们的书。我研究伊朗的动机之一是想与伊朗建立某种联系。在9/11事件之前，对伊斯兰激进主义的研究非常有限。9/11之前，关于伊斯兰的课程主要关注苏菲主义，而对圣战主义的研究非常少。在反恐中心工作就像在创业，一切都在摸索中前进，充满刺激和潜力。我对什叶派世界以及围绕什叶派的更大问题更感兴趣，所以最终专注于伊朗。

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This chapter traces Afshon Ostovar's path to becoming a leading Iran scholar. It begins with his unplanned gap year travels through Central Asia, which sparked his interest in the region, and follows his academic journey, marked by unexpected turns and a pivotal focus on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
  • Afshon Ostovar's initial exposure to Iranian politics was in Tajikistan.
  • His academic focus shifted from medieval studies to the IRGC.
  • His early research on the IRGC was partly driven by the lack of existing scholarship on the topic.
  • His work evolved from cultural and religious studies to encompass security and geopolitical aspects of Iran's actions.

Shownotes Transcript

War on the Rocks is launching a new show called "The Iran Reckoning with Afshon Ostovar." It's a members-only show but this first episode is free for all. Join us as renowned Iran scholar Afshon Ostovar takes you inside one of America's most complex and consequential adversaries. In this episode, Ryan introduces you to Afshon and his background (about the first 20 minutes) before discussing the ongoing war between Iran on one side and Israel and the United States on the other, and the unstable ceasefire that we currently find ourselves in. Much like the "The Russia Contingency with Michael Kofman," this show will feature Afshon's discussions with fellow experts and analysts. Become a member today to listen to them all: https://warontherocks.com/membership)