History, religion, culture, and politics of Iran, from the classical period in world history to the present day Middle East. Essays, podcasts, videos, images, and the author's academic publications can be found at: https://mahendrarajah.com
Operation Jawbreaker: IRGC and US Special Forces Fought on Same Side in Afghanistan
9/11 Special: 25 years ago today, on 7 Oct 2001, Op Enduring Freedom launched the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. CIA’s Jawbreaker team joined Iranian Special Forces in Afghanistan and Iran—allies against the Taliban until Israel sabotaged US-Iran rapprochement and exploited 9/11 to push the Iraq War.
30 Sept 2026
IRGC and the Death of CIA’s “Ayatollah Mike”
On 3 Jan 2020, Trump assassinated Haji Qasem Soleimani. On 27 Jan 2020, CIA’s Iran Mission chief Michael D’Andrea—‘Ayatollah Mike’—died when his USAF Bombardier E-11A jet was downed in Afghanistan. Was the jet shot down by IRGC? CIA claims he retired. IRGC named its ‘Missile 358’ after the jet’s tail number.
23 Sept 2026
Social-Economic Renaissance in Mongol Iran
This episode explores Shivan Mahendrarajah’s A History of Herat: From Chingiz Khan to Tamerlane (Edinburgh University Press, 2022), tracing the city’s transformation from its destruction under Chingiz Khan in 1222 to its capitulation to Tamerlane in 1381. Despite this violent history, Herat rose to become a major political, cultural, and economic center of the eastern Islamic world. Note: Herat is located in present-day Afghanistan, a country whose borders were drawn by British imperial powers in the 19th century.
16 Sept 2026
Saudi-Yemen War: Iran and Houthis Defeat the US
Saudi Arabia reignited its war on Yemen’s Ansarallah (“Houthis”) on 13 July, deploying mercenary forces and expecting a quick win. Instead, Ansarallah went on the offensive, striking Saudi military bases and oil infrastructure, including the East-West pipeline. By September 11, they’d captured Yemen’s west coast and key Red Sea islands, securing fire-control over the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint. Episode examines how the war became a strategic defeat for Saudi Arabia and the US, and a win for Iran.
11 Sept 2026
25 Years After 9/11: The Saudi-Wahhabi Doctrine Behind the Taliban and al-Qaeda
How Saudi Wahhabism forged the Taliban and al-Qaeda: this 9/11 anniversary special traces extremist ideology from 18th-century Arabia to Saudi-funded madrasas on the Afghan-Pakistan border, and its role in the Taliban’s war against Kabul and the US.
1 Sept 2026
The Jews of Iran
Iranian Jews represent the oldest continuous Jewish community in the Middle East. They have a 3,000-year history that predates and belies Israeli narratives. Iran’s Jewish community is anti-Zionist and patriotic; they challenge Western assumptions and propaganda by thriving in Iran. Iran’s Jewish community is explored in the independent documentary, “Uncaptured: Jews in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
24 Aug 2026
Mary Renault, Iran, and the Alexander Trilogy
Mary Renault is lauded as a groundbreaking LGBT authoress, but this detracts from her brilliance as a historian of ancient Greece and Iran. She masterfully weaves history, geography, and Greek literature with fiction to depict the life of Alexander the Great. Her “Persian Boy” was my introduction to Iran.
19 Aug 2026
Iran’s Nuclear Ambiguity and Trump’s “Pickaxe Mountain” Pickle
US and Israel handed Tehran the precious gift of nuclear ambiguity. Before 13 June 2025, Iran had the most open nuclear program in the world; today, the most opaque program. 440.9kg of 60% “highly-enriched uranium” survives at scattered sites; there is no single target for Special Forces or USAF to strike. The hoopla about “Pickaxe Mountain” is manufactured by Israel to force Trump to attack and re-ignite the Iran War.
14 Aug 2026
How the Taliban Defeated the Pentagon’s “Best and Brightest”
Sat., 15-Aug-26, is the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s victory over the US. In a 20-minute podcast, two discussants analyze the intellectual failures that led to the US’s strategic defeat. It is based on Shivan Mahendrarajah’s article in “Small Wars & Insurgencies,” and “is a scathing indictment of Generals Petraeus, McChrystal, et al., who brought military hardware to a political battlefield.” The “Afghan Surge” was doomed from day one. Generals were blind to the Taliban’s Maoist “revolutionary warfare” strategy (Rev. War = Guerrilla Activity + Political Activity); and systematic development of “parallel hierarchies” (shadow state) throughout rural villages.
12 Aug 2026
Iran’s Impenetrable Underground Bases
“The Iranian missile cities the US could not destroy” by the Financial Times caused a stir, but Iran specialists knew that underground bases were selected for their geography and geology. They are impregnable. Evidence and analysis in the essay.
8 Aug 2026
“China’s Eyes, Iran’s Fist”: PLA’s Satellites Help IRGC to Close the “Kill Chain”
China’s satellite network provides Iran with 24/7/365 coverage and real-time updates: SIGINT, terrain mapping, telemetry; radar, optical, and infrared all-weather, day & night imaging, allowing Iran to precisely strike Israeli and U.S. targets. Details in the essay.
7 Aug 2026
US Army’s Debacle in the Iranian Desert
Trump’s Gamble. On Easter Weekend, 4–5 April, US Special Forces suffered a debacle near the nuclear site in Isfahan. Trump’s social media meltdown was because the plan to seize Iran’s enriched uranium failed. The “pilot rescue” story is false. Read the essay at my website.
6 Aug 2026
A Sunni Community Thrives in Shia Iran
Shivan Mahendrarajah’s book, The Sufi Saint of Jam: History, Religion, and Politics of a Sunni Shrine in Shi‘i Iran (Cambridge University Press, 2021) explores the history, religion, politics, and architecture of Ahmad-i-Jam’s shrine, located in eastern Iran. Sunni shrine and community have thrived for over 900 years. This is of particular relevance given prevailing assumptions about Iran’s alleged sectarian and intolerant Shi‘i theocracy.
4 Aug 2026
Iran War: Failures in US Generalship
Podcast of essay published this day. Essay has details, links, and images
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