Hello everybody and welcome back to Rev Left Radio.

All right, on today's episode, I have a treat, truly a treat, but also a timely, topical, hyper-relevant history that I don't think we've ever fully covered here on RevLeft, which is the history of

Iran and U.S. relations over the past 100 years. The author I have on is Dr. Afshin Matine Asgardi,

who is a professor of history at Cal State in Los Angeles. He's also Iranian by birth, was born, raised, grew up in Iran, came to the U.S.

for university, has gone back at various times.

So has not only the academic scholarly expertise on the subject, but also the live

reality of it. When he was born and

growing up, he lived under the rule of the U.S.-backed Shah and was even a participant here in the

U.S. in the pro-Iran elements on campus of the Iranian Revolution as it took place in Iran. So it's a really

interesting perspective that we have. This conversation is fascinating. Critically engage with it.

Learn all this history. Apply your own critical thinking to that history. Come up with your own

analysis of that history and what it means for today.

But I think somebody that walks out of this conversation will walk out with a much

deeper understanding of this history, as I did from reading the book and from talking to

Professor Afshin-Matin Ascari.

So without further ado, here's our discussion on his book,

Axis of Empire, A History of Iran-U.S. Relations.

Enjoy. My name is Afshin, Matine Askeri.

I'm a professor of Middle East history here in Los Angeles, California, teaching at California State University, Los Angeles.

I have written three books focused on 20th century Iranian political and intellectual

history.

Iran, of course, is my specialty and my latest book that was published in January

...