In this episode of The Dialectic, Fair Observer’s Founder, CEO and Editor-in-Chief Atul Singh and retired CIA officer and FOI Senior Partner Glenn Carle talk about the history of the Iranian empire, the emergence of modern Islamic Iran under the Safavids, the instability that followed, the British domination of this proud nation and the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Atul and Glenn examine the ideological, religious and geopolitical imperatives driving Iran. They discuss the 1953 coup and the role of MI6 and CIA, as well as the emergence of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979. They discuss the Iran-Iraq War that followed, the Shia-Sunni divide and more. They end the podcast examining current developments such as the Israel-Iran military clashes and the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities as well as drawing up scenarios of what comes next.