Jian continues the Iran Rises series with a timely panel discussion examining the unfolding protest movement inside Iran.
Recorded on January 8, 2026, this episode brings together four perspectives - street-level insight, security analysis, economic context, and historical framing - to better understand what is happening now and what may come next.
Guests:
Picasso Moin – Iranian activist and commentator (Istanbul)
Mahdi Ghodsi – Economist, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies
Sepehr Vakil – Associate Professor, Northwestern University; author of Revolutionary Engineers
Shayan Samii – U.S. national security analyst and strategic communications expert
The conversation explores protest organization, regime power dynamics, economic pressure points, historical parallels, international response, and what may determine whether this moment advances or stalls.
The episode opens with Jian’s essay honoring the bravery of Iranians in the streets.
This edition of Roqe is brought to you with the support of:
Stellar Law – stellarlaw.ca
Famluxy – famluxy.com
All content for Roqe is the property of Roqe Global Media and is served directly from their servers
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Jian continues the Iran Rises series with a timely panel discussion examining the unfolding protest movement inside Iran.
Recorded on January 8, 2026, this episode brings together four perspectives - street-level insight, security analysis, economic context, and historical framing - to better understand what is happening now and what may come next.
Guests:
Picasso Moin – Iranian activist and commentator (Istanbul)
Mahdi Ghodsi – Economist, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies
Sepehr Vakil – Associate Professor, Northwestern University; author of Revolutionary Engineers
Shayan Samii – U.S. national security analyst and strategic communications expert
The conversation explores protest organization, regime power dynamics, economic pressure points, historical parallels, international response, and what may determine whether this moment advances or stalls.
The episode opens with Jian’s essay honoring the bravery of Iranians in the streets.
This edition of Roqe is brought to you with the support of:
Stellar Law – stellarlaw.ca
Famluxy – famluxy.com
Roqe Ep. 388 - No Water, No Power: Iran’s Harsh New Reality - Kaveh Madani
Roqe
1 hour 23 minutes 44 seconds
4 months ago
Roqe Ep. 388 - No Water, No Power: Iran’s Harsh New Reality - Kaveh Madani
What happens when a nation goes bankrupt on water?
In this edition of Roqe, Jian opens with a reflection on why “water is the new oil” - the defining resource of the 21st century. He argues that the crisis unfolding in Iran today is not just a local tragedy, but a preview for the world.
Our feature guest is Professor Kaveh Madani, former Deputy Head of Iran’s Department of Environment and current Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. In a wide-ranging and candid interview, Kaveh explains why Iran’s water and electricity shortages have reached a tipping point, what this means for ordinary Iranians, and how environmental collapse threatens the very legitimacy of the regime.
This is not only a story about Iran. It is about governance, dignity, and survival — and a warning for all of us.
This episode of Roqe is brought to you in part by iWelcome. Learn more at iwelcome.ca
or on Instagram @iwelcome.ca
Roqe
Jian continues the Iran Rises series with a timely panel discussion examining the unfolding protest movement inside Iran.
Recorded on January 8, 2026, this episode brings together four perspectives - street-level insight, security analysis, economic context, and historical framing - to better understand what is happening now and what may come next.
Guests:
Picasso Moin – Iranian activist and commentator (Istanbul)
Mahdi Ghodsi – Economist, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies
Sepehr Vakil – Associate Professor, Northwestern University; author of Revolutionary Engineers
Shayan Samii – U.S. national security analyst and strategic communications expert
The conversation explores protest organization, regime power dynamics, economic pressure points, historical parallels, international response, and what may determine whether this moment advances or stalls.
The episode opens with Jian’s essay honoring the bravery of Iranians in the streets.
This edition of Roqe is brought to you with the support of:
Stellar Law – stellarlaw.ca
Famluxy – famluxy.com
