WCVE Forum April 17: “Tehran Rising: Persian Power in an Unstable Region”

From America Abroad – As citizens rise up across the Middle East, they fear more than reprisals of their own rulers. Many worry that leaders from Iran are looking to capitalize on a de-stabilized Middle East. They fear Iran wants to acquire more power and influence in the region.

The balance appears to be tipping in Tehran’s favor: Iran has solid footholds in Iraq, Lebanon, and Gaza. And it’s eyeing potential openings across the Arab world… From Riyadh to Washington, alarms are sounding.

Tune in for WCVE Forum on WCVE Public Radio, Sunday at 6:00 PM.

Program Highlights:

• Sean Carberry reports from Bahrain, where recent unrest between the majority Shiite population and the Sunni regime may play out in Iran’s favor. Guests include: Ali, a 27-year-old resident of Manama; Mohammed, a 24-year old oil worker; Kristin Smith Diwan, an assistant professor at American University’s School of International Service, and an expert on the Gulf.
• Deborah Amos traces the history of past Iranian efforts to project influence throughout the Middle East. Guests include: Suzanne Maloney, a Senior Fellow with the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution, and Ray Takeyh, an expert on Iran at the Council on Foreign Relations.
• Sean Carberry travels to Lebanon—one of the central fronts in the battle between Saudi Arabia and Iran for regional dominance—where Iran is deepening its influence. Guests include: Talal Atrissi, a professor of sociology at the Lebanese University in Beirut; Rabia, a 40-year-old resident of Ashrafieh, a predominantly Christian neighborhood; Ramsiya Mattar, a resident of Dahiya, a suburb of Beirut; Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut; Mohammed Shattah, senior advisor for foreign policy to outgoing Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
• Iranians in the US share their thoughts about Iran’s growing influence in the region and its nuclear program. Guests include: Puya Jahandar, a 36-year-old blogger-activist; A 29-year-old freelance journalist; A 33-year-old graphic designer.
• Kowsar Gowhari, a 31-year-old law student, talks about the conflicting feelings she has about Iran.
• Deborah Amos speaks with two Iran experts about what the recent revolutions in the Middle East will mean for the Islamic Republic and its role in the region. Guests include: Karim Sadjadpour, an associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Ash Jain, a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

America Abroad is distributed by PRI: Public Radio International.