Kianistan

Is another US-Iran war becoming more likely? In this episode of Kianistan, host Tafhim Kiani welcomes back former CIA analyst Larry C. Johnson to examine the risk of renewed conflict, Iran's military capabilities and the wider geopolitical consequences. The discussion explores the Strait of Hormuz, global energy supplies, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, US foreign policy, and the growing strategic ali...

What happens if the conflict between the US and Iran escalates further? In this episode of Kianistan, host Tafhim Kiani welcomes back Professor Joshua M. Landis, one of the leading experts on Syria and Middle Eastern politics, to examine Israel's political future, US foreign policy and the shifting balance of power across the region. The discussion explores Israel's elections, Palestinian...

What do the latest Israeli elections and US midterm results mean for the future of the Middle East? In this episode of Kianistan, host Tafhim Kiani welcomes back Laith Marouf, Syrian-Palestinian journalist, geopolitical analyst and founder of Free Palestine TV, to discuss the Iran war, Israel's political deadlock, US foreign policy and the changing balance of power in West Asia. The discussion...

Can science reverse biological ageing? Could people alive today benefit from medical breakthroughs that dramatically extend healthy human life? In this episode of Kianistan, host Tafhim Kiani welcomes biomedical gerontologist Aubrey de Grey back for a deeper discussion about the practical science of rejuvenation, age-related diseases and the future of human longevity. Aubrey explains his damage-re...

What do the latest US midterm election results mean for Donald Trump, the Republican Party and the future of American foreign policy? In this episode of Kianistan, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by independent journalist and political analyst Niko D. House to examine the changing political landscape in Washington, the Democrats' return to congressional power, and the possible consequences for Tru...

Support the Kianistan Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianzIn Episode 176 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Simon Cockerell, General Manager of Koryo Tours, a Beijing-based travel company specialising in North Korea and other less-visited destinations. Having visited North Korea 183 times since his first trip in 2002, Simon shares his personal experiences and observat...

In Episode 175 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Ali Hassan Mourad, a Beirut-based investigative journalist and researcher who contributes regularly to Al-Akhbar. They examine the political and military tensions shaping West Asia, including Israel's elections, US midterm elections and the possibility of renewed US-Israeli aggression against Iran. The discussion explores N...

In Episode 173 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Paul Craig Roberts, economist, author, former Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury for Economic Policy under President Ronald Reagan, and former associate editor of The Wall Street Journal. They discuss rising tensions between Europe and Russia, US foreign policy, the war involving Iran, and the growing risk of a wider intern...

In Episode 171 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Fadi Lama, an international adviser for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a partner at DNL Strategic Consulting, and author of Why the West Can't Win: From Bretton Woods to a Multipolar World. Fadi explains why he anticipated a wider war in West Asia and argues that global finance, energy resource...

In Episode 170 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Fatma Brahim, a Sahrawi activist and member of the Sahrawi Youth Union (UJSARIO), the youth wing of the POLISARIO Front. They discuss Western Sahara's history, Spanish colonial rule, Morocco's 1975 Green March, and the Sahrawi people's struggle for self-determination and independence. Fatma shares her perspective on...

In Episode 169 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani welcomes historian and geopolitical analyst Dr. Jamal Wakim to discuss the escalating conflict between Saudi Arabia and Ansarullah in Yemen. They examine the reported strike on a royal palace in Aden, Saudi Arabia's military calculations, the strategic importance of Bab al-Mandab, and the impact on regional oil exports. The conversatio...

In Episode 168 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Ali Rizk, a freelance journalist and analyst with 14 years of journalism experience, including five years in Iran. They discuss the conflict between Saudi Arabia and Ansarullah in Yemen, parallels with the US–Iran war, and the strategic calculations behind both conflicts. The conversation explores Saudi Arabia's military st...

In Episode 167 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Gordon M. Hahn, a researcher specializing in Islam and politics in Russia and Eurasia, international relations, and terrorism. They examine Trump's Russian diesel deal with Putin, its implications for US–Russia relations, and the impact on Ukraine and European policy. The conversation explores Zelensky's position, Europ...

In Episode 166 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with Professor Joshua Landis, one of the leading American academics specializing in Syria and the Middle East. They discuss Syria after Bashar al-Assad, Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian opposition, jihadist groups, minorities and the country's changing political landscape. The conversation also covers Israel's role in Syria, Iran...

In Episode 165 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by Syrian-Palestinian journalist, political commentator and geopolitical analyst Laith Marouf for a discussion on the latest developments across Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria and Israel. They examine the FlyDubai incident, the reported events around the UK military base at Fairford, Iran–US tensions and the wider regiona...

In Episode 164 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by Tessa Morris-Suzuki, Professor Emerita at the Australian National University and a historian of modern Japan and North Korea, to explore Japan’s wartime history, colonialism, World War II and its lasting impact on East Asia. The conversation examines Japan’s expansion into China and Southeast Asia, the colonization of Korea, f...

In this episode of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by author and journalist Tharik Hussain to explore the history of Muslims in Europe, from the arrival of Islam to the present day. They discuss Muslim communities in Spain, Sicily, the Balkans, the Volga region, Poland and Lithuania, as well as the influence of Muslims on European food, culture, science, architecture and law. Th...

In this episode of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by Palestinian scientist, author and activist Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, founder of the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University. They discuss Palestine, Israel, Zionism, settlements, sanctions, the two-state solution and the ongoing conflict in the regi...

☕ SUPPORT THE SHOWbuymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianzIn Episode 161 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by Canadian lawyer, journalist and podcaster Dimitri Lascaris for a wide-ranging conversation on Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Yemen, Israel and the shifting global landscape. Dimitri shares insights from his recent trip to Russia, including his observations on everyday public sentiment, th...

☕ SUPPORT THE SHOWbuymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianzIn Episode 160 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani is joined by Cyrus Janssen, geopolitical analyst, investor, speaker and content creator, for a wide-ranging discussion about China, the United States, global trade, technology, geopolitics, Hong Kong, Taiwan, economic competition and the changing global order. If you are interested in China, U...

☕ SUPPORT THE SHOWbuymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianzIn this episode of the Kianistan Podcast, we're joined by Vladimir N. Brovkin, a Russian-born American historian and former Associate Professor of Soviet History at Harvard University, for a wide-ranging discussion on Germany's changing political landscape and its broader implications for Europe. We explore the current political dynamics in Ge...

In Episode 157 of the Kianistan Podcast, we're joined by Dr. James Frankel, Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies and Director of the Centre for the Study of Islamic Culture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, for a deep dive into the 1,300-year history of Islam in China. If you enjoy in-depth conversations on Islamic history, world religions, and civiliza...

In this episode of the Kianistan Podcast, we're joined by Dr. Özgür Koca, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Philosophy at Bayan Islamic Graduate School, for a deep exploration of Sufi metaphysics and the towering intellectual legacy of Ṣadr al-Dīn Qūnawī and Ibn ʿArabī. Dr. Koca's research sits at the intersection of Islamic theology (kalām), philosophy (falsafa), and spirituality...

In Episode 155 of the Kianistan Podcast, economist, investment advisor, and long-time Federal Reserve critic Peter Schiff joins us to break down how the ongoing war between the US and Iran is colliding with America's own economic and political troubles. If you enjoy sharp, no-nonsense conversations on economics, markets, geopolitics, and where the world is headed, don't forget to subscribe...

If this conversation added value, consider supporting the show: buymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianzIn Episode 154 of the Kianistan Podcast, award-winning journalist, political commentator, media activist, and geopolitical analyst Laith Marouf returns to break down the rapidly escalating war between Iran and the United States, the renewed conflict inside Yemen, and the shifting alliances reshaping West As...