The View from Inside: An Iranian Perspective on the Failure of US-Iran Policy

Hadi Kahalzadeh

Topic: The View from Inside: An Iranian Perspective on the Failure of US-Iran Policy
Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Place: Irondequoit Country Club: 4045 East Ave. [14618]
Time: 6:00 Cocktails; 7:00 Dinner; 8:00 Speaker Presentation followed by Q and A
Cost: $55 per person ($58 if paying online), buffet style. Cash Bar
Dinner: Buffet style – 2 protein options, 1 vegetarian option

***Registration Policy: For reservations, please email MemberServices@WACROC.org. Mail your
check for the dinner[s] to: WACR, PO Box 25462, Rochester, NY 14625 no later than December 3.

The U.S. and Iran have a complicated history dating back decades. There have been periods of decreased tensions, but often times, events have brought two countries close to the brink of a greater war…. whether the earlier US assisted coup of Prime Minister Mosaddegh in 1953, or extensive subsequent US support of the Shah.

Once in power, the Shaw (viewed as a US puppet) led an authoritarian campaign of social and economic Westernization that led to nationwide protests. Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile, leading to the formation of the existing theocratic republic, guided by Islamic Principles. The Shah fled, and student backers of the Aya-tollah took 52 American employees of the US Embassy hostage, leading to the severing of US-Iran diplomatic relations. The Revolutionary Guard Force was created to defend Iran and support revolutionary movements around the world and Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group, largely seen as a proxy for Iran, was formed.

Tensions continue for a variety of reason…including US concern about the development of a nuclear capacity, and Iran’s involvement in Yemen’s war. The US response has been the imposition of sanctions, leaving both nations in stark opposition to each other about visions for Iran’s future and larger interests in the Middle East.

But… what do we know about the happenings inside Iran? How do Iranian citizens view the actions of their own leaders? What is the impact of US sanctions on them? We welcome Dr. Kahalzadeh to share an insider’s view.

Hadi Kahalzadeh is a Social Policy Research Analyst and political economist currently at The Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University where his research focuses on the impact of economic sanctions on Iran’s social welfare. Dr. Kahalzadeh holds a B.A. and an M.A. in in Theoretical Economics from Allameh Tabataba’i University in Tehran. An M.A. and a PhD. in Social Policy from Brandeis University.

Prior to his move to the US in 2011, he was an economist with the Department of Economic and Social Planning in Tehran for eight years, and served on the boards of several political parties and pro-democratic civil society organizations. He has contributed extensively to analyses on issues within Iran, in prominent media outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, BBC, The Guardian, and Foreign Affairs.

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