Professor of Middle East History, George Mason University
Professor of Middle East History at George Mason University and author of The Reign of the Ayatollahs: Iran and the Islamic Revolution; husband of Haleh Esfandiari, an American citizen and the director of the Middle Eastern program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars who was recently imprisoned in Iran
Iran and the U.S.; Nuclear Enrichment and Government Crackdown For the first time in twenty eight years, the United States sat down to official talks with Iran. The subject was the war in Iraq. Both countries agreed they shared a common goal of a stable Iraq, but there were many issues that weren’t on the table at the meeting including Iran’s continued defiance of the international community with its nuclear program. There is also the question of U.S.-Iranian citizens who have been detained during visits to their home country and were charged with espionage today. What is Iran’s agenda in the region, and how should the U.S. respond?
The US and Iran Finally Talk about Iraq After nearly three decades of formal silence, representatives from the US and Iran met in Baghdad yesterday and agreed on the need for a stable Iraq. There were many issues that were not on the table, including Iran's continued defiance of the international community with its nuclear program. There is also the question of US-Iranian citizens who have been detained during visits to their home country and were today charged with espionage . Guest host Sara Terry explores Iran's agenda in the Middle East and US response to it.
Former Iranian President to Visit US Despite growing tension with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Bush Administration has issued a visa to former President Mohammad Khatami . Though he no longer speaks for Iran, Khatami's two-week visit will demonstrate America's tradition of free speech--which does not exist in Iran itself. How long will he be here? Who will he see? What's the reaction of Iranians who fled their country to live in the US? Shaul Bakhash is a former journalist who left Iran in 1980.
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.