sadegh zibakalam is considered one of iran’s most prominent thinkers and academics and may play a significant political role in the future. he is a leading figure in iran’s reformist-liberal movement and one of its most outspoken critics.

zibakalam served as a professor at the faculty of law and political science at the university of tehran, specializing in contemporary iranian affairs and regional relations. he earned his phd from the university of bradford in the united kingdom.

during the 1970s, he was arrested under the shah’s regime due to his political activism. following the islamic revolution, he later became a critic of the policies of the islamic republic.

he has authored several well-known books on iranian politics, including how we became what we are and an introduction to the islamic revolution. zibakalam frequently appears in iranian and international media outlets, such as the bbc and al jazeera, as a political analyst. these appearances have led to multiple trials and prison sentences on charges of propaganda against the regime and spreading falsehoods.

in one of his most notable interviews, zibakalam stated that since the beginning of the iranian islamic revolution in 1979, iran has openly called for the destruction of israel. he emphasized that iran has pursued this objective through a clear and practical policy by establishing the “axis of resistance,” which includes hezbollah in lebanon, hamas and palestinian islamic jihad in gaza and the west bank, shiite militias in iraq, the houthi movement in yemen, and the assad regime in syria.

zibakalam pointed out that israel, in contrast, has never sought to destroy iran. he noted that even the most hardline israeli officials have not declared such an objective, although israel has taken actions against iran’s nuclear program, which it considers an existential threat.

he stated that the hamas-led attack on israeli settlements on october 7, 2023, which resulted in a large number of casualties, changed israel’s stance toward iran and prompted israeli attacks on iranian nuclear facilities. according to zibakalam, current discussions about punishing iran for the events of october 7 reinforce the perception that iran is responsible for and complicit in those events.

he argues that iran’s repeated calls for the destruction of israel are the primary reason for heightened global, particularly western, sensitivity toward iran’s nuclear program. zibakalam strongly criticizes the iranian government’s nuclear policy, stating that massive investments in the program have neither improved the country’s electricity supply nor revitalized its stagnant industrial sector.

he also criticizes iran’s foreign policy toward the united states, suggesting that the continued hostility since the islamic revolution has harmed iran’s national interests and intensified tensions with the west.

zibakalam holds the government responsible for a wide range of negative events in iran, from the accidental downing of an iranian passenger plane in 1988 to alleged u.s. involvement in arson attacks during domestic protests.

furthermore, he asserts that government policies have failed to strengthen and integrate the ethnic, religious, and sectarian identities of minority groups. he specifically cites the kurds in western iran, the baloch in the east, and the azerbaijanis in the north.

zibakalam concludes that the current political situation in iran remains unclear and that, for unclear reasons, western reports often fail to adequately elaborate on it.