Following the outbreak of the US – Israeli war against Iran on 28 February — marked by the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, alongside senior political figures, military commanders, and nuclear scientists — Iran responded with military strikes against both the United States and Israel, including attacks on US military facilities in the Gulf. The conflict rapidly escalated, with civilian infrastructure becoming a primary target.
Beyond its immediate destruction, the war has significantly reshaped Iranian society. Pre-war public dissent has largely been redirected toward resistance against foreign invasions, signalling a notable shift in the domestic political landscape. Anti-government movements now face a dual challenge: confronting state repression while navigating the effects of external military aggression. Meanwhile, the elimination of key leadership figures has disrupted existing political structures. While new leadership is emerging, it remains uncertain whether this leadership can maintain political cohesion during the war and in the post-war period. This seminar examines these evolving socio-political dynamics within Iran.
This event is in collaboration with the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.
Speakers
Professor Javad Heiran-Nia
Javad Heiran-Nia, PhD in International Relations, is the Director of the Persian Gulf Studies Group at the Center for Scientific Research and Middle East Strategic Studies in Iran. He has served as a Current Affairs Analyst at the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum. He is the author of the book Iran and the Security Order in the Persian Gulf: The Presidency of Hassan Rouhani, published by Routledge on 29 July 2024. His articles have appeared in outlets such as the Atlantic Council, Stimson Center, National Interest, Middle East Policy, Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum, Insight Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus Journal, Contemporary Review of the Middle East, and Strategic Analysis. Heiran-Nia’s commentary and interviews have been featured by leading media outlets, including Bloomberg Asharq, Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Newsweek, Anadolu Agency, The Asahi Shimbun, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Qatar Alaraby TV, Expresso, The National, and The New Arab. He has participated in and spoken at prestigious conferences at Princeton University, Cambridge University, Georgetown University, Qatar University, and other academic institutions, as well as think tanks such as the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (Japan), the Iranian Studies Unit of the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (Doha, Qatar), and YCAPS’ Europe Chapter at the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs.
Dr Zeynab Malakouti
Dr Zeynab Malakouti is a Research Affiliate at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore, and a Senior Fellow at the Global Peace Institute, UK. She holds a PhD in International Law from the University of Leeds, UK. Previously, she served as an Assistant Professor at the UNESCO Chair for Human Rights, Peace and Democracy in Iran. Her interdisciplinary research lies at the intersection of international law and international relations, with particular expertise on Iran. Her latest book, Counter-Terrorism Financing and Iran, was published by Routledge.
Dr Arash Reisinezhad
Arash Reisinezhad is a visiting assistant professor at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. His research interests include geopolitics, security and strategic studies, foreign policy analysis, and Middle East politics. He is currently developing two book projects on Iran-China relations and the transforming geopolitics of the Middle East, along with two paper projects on Iran's nuclear program and the Iran War. He teaches courses on Middle East politics and the Great Power Competition. Reisinezhad is a trusted voice on emergent issues in the Middle East. His writing is frequently published in global media outlets and top academic journals. Reisinezhad is also a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics' Middle East Centre as well as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. Additionally, he has received fellowships from Harvard University. He is the author of The Shah of Iran, the Iraqi Kurds, and the Lebanese Shia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018) and Iran and the Silk Road: From Road Geopolitics to Road Diplomacy (University of Tehran Press).
Moderator
Jia Liu
Liu Jia is Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, NUS. Jia earned her PhD in Government and International Affairs from Durham University, where she was honoured to be the H.H. Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah Doctoral Fellow. Jia has also studied in China, Iran, Sweden, Jordan, worked in the UAE, and well-travelled across the West Asia/Middle East. She speaks Chinese, English, Farsi, and is learning Arabic. Jia’s research focuses on two major areas: the politics of Persian speaking world and China-West Asia/Middle East relations.
Registration will close two hours before the event begins.