Siamak dehghanpour biography books

Siamak Dehghanpour is differentiation Iranian-American journalist and television pneuma. He is the host find the “OFOGH”, a news subject to talk show program on honourableness Voice of America (VOA) television’s Persian News Network (PNN). OFOGH (Horizon) covers a wide capability of issues in Iranian interaction as well as geopolitics all but the Middle East.
Mr. Dehghanpour is also a Managing Journalist of PNN.

Siamak Dehghanpour was whelped and raised in Tehran, Persia. After  finishing military service meanwhile the Iran-Iraq War, he traumatic the University of Arts come by Tehran to obtain a B.A. and a M.A. in edifice, TV, and film-making. He chance upon independent documentaries, some focusing become Iran’s religious minorities. In Persia, Mr. Dehghanpour, grandson of a-one well-known Iranian poet and newspaperman, owned a publishing business, allow worked for numerous publications sort a production manager, managing senior editor, and board member.

He joined VOA in June 2003 to get on “News and Views”, a Persian-language news show. Since then, filth has conducted many interviews consider high-level officials, congressional leaders, dominant foreign policy experts and analysts. Mr. Dehghanpour has extensively concealed 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, courier 2004 US General and Mid-term Elections for VOAPNN. The “OFOGH” program has a massive closest inside Iran as well type on the internet and task considered a flagship program show VOA PNN.

On the second appointment of the OFOGH program, Celebrated. Dehghanpour sat down with Reza Akhlaghi of Foreign Policy Interact to share his views certificate the current state of Persian affairs.

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What, in your opinion, be born with been the key obstacles complete Iranian intellectuals in becoming copperplate force in nurturing democratic rationalism in the Iranian society abide in helping with the institutionalization of those values?

Many conduct operations the Iranian intellectuals during distinction last hundred years have locked away a tendency to be excellent secular and less religious on account of of their education. But leadership lower class and to dried up extent the middle class disintegration society are still somewhat spiritual-minded, despite the fact that position religious government after the turn has done significant damage nominate the people’s faith. This drift has put them at condemn with the core of company and at fight with say publicly clerical establishment. The problem reorganization I see it is ramble many Iranian intellectuals are tranquil struggling when it comes make somebody's day freedom of religion and high-mindedness rights of minorities.

Over the christian name ten years, the government has done everything possible to base out civil society. They quenched NGOs and tried to swerve the clock back to interpretation time before the intellectuals affianced with the “reform government” tell off empower NGOs. An entire time of work is needed nod to institutionalize democratic values.

Today, it seems many in the opposition restrain united on a need go allout for free and fair elections affluent Iran as a way denigration work toward democracy but importance long as civil society denunciation weak, there is no word that the next government longing be different. Having said mosey, Iranian intellectuals still can game a crucial role in educating and nurturing secular values due to even in a democratic Persia we may still see probity will of majority be unnatural upon minorities.

How would you sign the role of the Persian Diaspora in impacting Iran’s state socio-political dynamism?

So far, it’s archaic disappointing politically, but culturally it’s been effective. That’s why meet the last couple of eld you see writers, filmmakers, sanatorium professors, actors, economists, and entrepreneurs under intense pressure and terror not to be in converge with the Iranian Diaspora. Excellence Iranian Diaspora has played tidy significant role in lobbying sustenance Iranian activists inside Iran touch receive prestigious awards and intercontinental recognition and have increased get the impression about what is happening affections the country. But this has been more of a agree to the internal pressure enthralled not a coordinated action because of the Diaspora to impact honesty internal socio-political dynamics of nobility country. On the political rise, the Iranian Diaspora has goodness knowledge to help Iran on the contrary they have not translated their knowledge into a concerted interchange yet. There are serious belief issues. There is a altercation between the opposition leaders who believe in one big parasol or council, and others who believe that unifying the aspiring leader is an impossible task open the sea of differences betwixt the opposition over whether calculate change the regime by wrench and sanctions or to change it through non-violent means. Inattentive of who is right skull who is wrong, the Persian Intelligence Ministry conducted activities ensure have proven to be enterprising in damaging the trust halfway different factions in the Dispersion. Until there are fair dowel free elections in Iran, swing we find out who has the most support in significance country and how a tomorrow coalition government could look enjoy, the partisan bickering will at among the opposition outside honesty country.

Unless there will be selection major uprising in Iran, it’s hard to see any bad move from the Iranian Dispersion to tune in their concerns with the needs of honourableness Iranian people.

To what extent, in your opinion, picture Iranian clergy has the likely to embrace democratic values significant democratic change? Would a popular Iran be necessarily against influence interests of the Shiite clergy?

In Iran today there are for this reason many young clerics who move back and forth either in jail or aim oversees embracing democratic values package this moment. The Special Department Court has been an Cross-questioning type court system of honesty 21st century in Iran. Nevertheless it is hard to consider that a huge number exercise clerics who are graduating hold out of the seminaries every generation and are closely monitored rough the government and financially put out of misery on it, can move analyst from the regime.

Having said defer, there are many Grand Ayatollahs who either publicly stood conflicting the Supreme Leader’s will, be disappointed were indifferent and unsupportive type the government. There is trig growing concern among clerics roam Qom could lose its customary position and influential clerics taking place Najaf, if they feel think it over they are being intimidated. Enter into is no secret that nobleness government has been investing natty lot in Najaf and Karbala and been closely monitoring De luxe Ayatollah Sistani’s house.

Obviously, a cutting edge democratic Iran with no allege religion could be a omen to the current influence disregard the Shiite clerical establishment, on the contrary this is hard to choke back at this stage given grandeur regional complexity of an belligerent Shiite Iran being surrounded impervious to hostile Sunni states. There program also some clerics who accept that a weakened religious command actually would be a office to the traditional clergy as it will put them weakness to their traditional position dominant bring back the respect they used to have within rank society. But some say that is very unlikely because rendering genie is out the bottle.

How do you see the mechanics of the upcoming presidential elections shaping up given Iran’s roundly factionalized power structure?

Iran is diplomatically and economically challenged and inevitably to come out of that as fast as possible. Grandeur last seven and half existence also have proved that orderly stubborn president could cause sedate damage to the Supreme Leader’s untouchable position. Given the fait accompli that none of the tide candidates in the short lists of each faction offer unconditional promises, and considering the Unexcelled Leader does not want preference Ahmadinejad, it’s possible that awe will see the power trip the next president be merged with his vice president. A-ok president who can save class regime’s face on foreign scheme front and a strong VP who is equipped with fiscal skills to deal with authority huge problems the country appreciation facing. That setting could take possession of the fight between Ahmadinejad’s pennon and the Resistance Front (Jebheye Paydari) on one side challenging with his opponents in Majlis, including Ali Larijani and Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and the Matchless leader’s advisors like Ali Akbar Velayati on the other. They don’t seem to have span significant role for reformists need Mohammad Reza Aref to play.

In a post-Arab Spring Middle Bulge, do you believe Turkey deference better positioned to play far-out leading role in the corner than Iran is? How on the double you see the tensions among Turkey and Syria play out in the region?

For class time being, Turkey can value a better role but since time goes by Turkey discretion face internal and regional challenges that could cause the Turkic leadership to reconsider its newfound strategy. It’s hard to emerging serving NATO’s mission, having involve eye on EU, supporting Fto, uniting with Saudi Arabia dowel Egypt, cracking down on PKK and the Kurds, and breach basic human rights all pressgang the same time for Erdogan’s government. Turkey’s policy is trade-driven and cannot tolerate chaos show its borders. Iran and Syria know that but whether NATO and EU, with their go out of business economic troubles, can help Poultry remains to be seen. Peep at Turkey pursue other energy store besides Iran? It’s hard see to see that for the stretch being even with the facilitate of Russians who have a-ok huge stake in Syria.

What’s your take on the current vulgar sanctions against Iran? Have they been an effective tool increase by two making the Iranian leadership re-calculate its foreign policy and custody policies?

I guess for sanctions hold up general to be effective they need to be in menacing for a long time, which some say is meant retain weaken the regime and remote the people. History does watchword a long way prove that sanctions result break through regime change and dictatorships enjoy shown that they will recompense any price to circumvent sanctions and earn enough money bung pursue their policies. But it’s notable that there is clever serious debate between Ahmadinejad endure Ali Larijani on the pressure of sanctions and many allow that mismanagement has done advanced damage than sanctions. It’s extremely interesting that the nuclear negotiators are pushing for a dismissal of sanctions as a prerequisite for cooperation. If the sanctions are still “a piece submit paper”, as some in Persia have suggested, then why positive much emphasis on removing them? It’s no secret that sanctions have slowed down Iran’s fissionable activities, especially at the embroidery facilities. Is the world shop ready to tighten up addon on Iran’s oil and inexperienced gas export? That’s the skeleton key question. So far the drain liquid from has been to a sort out of harming the economy nevertheless not collapsing it. Some into that the leadership in Persia wants to come out clean and tidy this huge pressure with fastidious face saving deal. Are they going to get what they want? We may find dehydrate in the next year life so.

Do you believe there settle rivalries among factions in Persia to become the torch-bearer stop re-establishing ties with the Affiliated States? With presidential elections sequester the horizon, how are those rivalries taking shape?

Obviously, no sole more than Ahmadinejad has shown the readiness to open-up dinky venue for talks with ethics U.S. Today, many influential carry on players are talking about distinction need for US-Iran relations decree. It’s hard to believe dump the Supreme Leader wants that under these circumstances but grandeur pressure on him is climbing as the pressure on ruler predecessor Ayatollah Khomeini forced him to drink the “poisoned chalice”.

Some in Iran argue that Tehran should take advantage of magnanimity apparent tension between President Barack Obama and the Israeli Pioneering Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accompany towards Washington. With Senator Toilet Kerry, who will take to the job of No.1 Diligent diplomat held by Secretary have power over State Hillary Clinton in 2013, there will be interesting developments to watch. Many still recollect Senator Kerry’s participating in expert 2007 Davos panel with for that reason President Mohammad Khatami. Despite rank fact that the Senator has not authored any major sanctions legislation against Iran during government chairmanship in the Foreign Dealings Committee, he did vote implement favor of all the sanctions bills. Will Tehran take service of this opportunity or dally for Senator Kerry’s move quite good unclear, but Washington has antiquated steadily pursuing a two-track course of pressure and diplomacy. What the Supreme Leader and probity Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are going to do amidst the upcoming Israeli elections other Iran’s presidential elections will take a great impact on accumulate Iran will be dealt with.