Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 1, 2019

Jonathan Piron, Middle East Eye: 'The Shah is gone': Revisiting the Iranian revolution 40 years later

The memory of the Iranian revolution is key to understanding Iran’s current behaviour. The fall of the Shah was not caused solely by Shia religious men, but by an eclectic coalition of opposition forces, which the advent of the Islamic Republic ended

“Shah raft” (“The Shah is gone”). The same headline on the 16 January 1979 front pages of the Kayhan and Ettela’at newspapers marked the victory of the revolution. Minutes after the public radio announcement of the Shah’s departure, massive and exuberant crowds took to the streets of Tehran. The Pahlavi dynasty had just collapsed and with it, Iran’s imperial regime.

Though seemingly well-known, the history of the Iranian revolution has been distorted by its retrospective reconstruction. Instrumentalised or forgotten, the memories of the 1979 revolution reflect the contemporary positions and agendas of various actors.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 1, 2019

40 years on: Khomeini's return from exile and the Iran revolution -- Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera

Tehran, Moscow differ on Syria, but share interests elsewhere -- Maxim A. Suchkov, Al-Monitor

Former US and Turkish admirals spar over the future of Syria and Iranian influence -- Kyle Rempfer, Military Times

Why did Saudi Aramco's ambitious selloff fail? -- Osama Bin Javaid, AP

Lebanon finally has a new government. What's on its agenda? -- Anchal Vohra, Al Jazeera

Can Emmanuel Macron’s ‘great national debate’ save his presidency? -- European Council on Foreign Relations

The Fight for Venezuela’s Soul -- Annika Hernroth-Rothstein, National Review

Young Maduro loyalist is new hope for Venezuela’s socialists -- Fabiola Sanchez and Joshua Goodman, AP

This Is No Time For an Artificial Peace in Korea -- Peter Brookes, RCW


Don’t Let Cost Dispute with Seoul Undermine U.S. Strategic Interests -- Bruce Klingner, Heritage Foundation

Arms race fears as US pulls out of landmark missile pact -- Asia Times

Five takeaways on Trump decision to suspend nuclear treaty with Russia -- Rebecca Kheel and Morgan Chalfant, The Hill

The US-Taliban negotiations breakthrough: What it means and what lies ahead -- Vanda Felbab-Brown

Why America can’t win wars -- David Isenberg, Asia Times