Abbas Milani’s life and scholarship uniquely position him to understand Iran. Professor Milani is an Iranian-American historian, author, and educator whose career has been devoted to studying the political and intellectual history of modern Iran. He is the Hamid and Christina Moghadam Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University and is a fellow and co-director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution.

Milani experienced the tumult of Iran firsthand. He was imprisoned under the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and later banned from teaching after the rise of Ruhollah Khomeini. In 1986, he left Iran and built a distinguished scholarly career. He has written several major works on Iranian history and politics, including his widely acclaimed 2011 biography of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi—The Shah—which is widely regarded as the definitive account of his life.

This is a defining moment in Iran’s future as politicians, soldiers, and strategists try to understand the future of the regime, the aspirations of Iranian society, and the trajectories of political change.

Our conversation will explore many questions—including what is happening on the ground, the strength and vulnerabilities of the regime, the strategic thinking of its leadership, the evolution of Iranian society and opposition movements, and how external pressures—from sanctions to regional conflicts—are shaping Iran today.