Iranian Politics:The Power Behind the Persian Curtain

Iranian Politics:The Power Behind the Persian Curtain udemy course

Reza Shah Pahlavi, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Mohammad Mossadegh, TUDEH, People's Mujahideen Organization, Islamic Revo

The study was formed within the motivation framework to understand Middle Eastern politics. The hot developments in the region made it necessary to understand Iranian politics. The aim was to provide basic knowledge of the political history and institutions of Iran, one of the most important countries in the Middle East, upon completion of the prepared training. Our course consists of eight lessons in total. In our first lesson, we will start Iranian political history with the period of Reza Shah Pahlavi. In this lesson, the reforms made during Reza Shah Pahlavi were discussed in detail. In our second lesson, the period of Mohammad Reza Shah, who succeeded Reza Shah Pahlavi to the throne, was examined. The period of Mohammad Mosaddegh, who was the prime minister during this period, was discussed. The coup process, called Operation Ajax, the foreign interventions in Iranian politics, and the importance of oil in Iranian politics were discussed. The reform process of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who followed in his father's footsteps, called the "White Revolution", was evaluated with its pros and cons. Our third lesson was devoted to the TUDEH Party, one of the leading forces of the Iranian opposition. In this lesson, the ideological structure and institutional traditions of the TUDEH Party were reviewed. In the same context, the position taken by the party during the breaking points of Iranian politics was discussed, opening a different window in understanding Iranian politics. In our fourth lesson, the People's Mujahideen Organization, which is an opposition movement in Iranian politics like the TUDEH Party, was evaluated. The historical process of the movement in question and its role in Iranian politics were discussed. In our fifth lesson, the process leading to the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the new political climate that emerged in Iran after the revolution were evaluated. The religious-ideological codes of the Islamic Revolution in Iran were emphasized, and the Hostage Crisis with the USA was discussed in all its aspects. In our sixth lesson, the institutions of the new regime established after the Islamic Revolution in Iran were evaluated. In this context, the duties and responsibilities of the Velayat-i Faqih, Presidency, Guardian Council of the Constitution, Islamic Consultative Assembly, Council for the Diagnosis of the Benefits of the Order, Assembly of Experts, Supreme National Security Council, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps were discussed. In our seventh lesson, a basic framework was drawn regarding the Iranian economy. In this lesson, the Iranian economy was discussed with the concept of a rentier state. The general characteristics of the Iranian economy were specified and explanations were made about the sanctions imposed on Iran. In our last lesson, we focused on the important political actors who left their mark on Iranian politics after the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The policies implemented by the two names in the religious leadership position after the revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, and the presidential positions of Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, Sayyed Mohammad Khatami, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hassan Rouhani, and Ibrahim Raisi were evaluated. At the end of the lessons, academic readings on the relevant actors were also shared. It is expected that the content of the lessons will be reinforced with these readings.

I hope that it will be useful...