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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 2h

Harvard University's Faculty of Arts & Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for the next two years. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Harvard FAS Cuts Ph.D. Seats By More Than Half Across Next Two Admissions Cycles | News | The Harvard Crimson

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences slashed the number of Ph.D. student admissions slots for the Science division by more than 75 percent and for the Arts & Humanities division by about 60 percent for th...

www.thecrimson.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 1d

For those keeping tabs, #Islamophobia is still alive and well in America!

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Reposted by Reza H. Akbari

Emily L. Hauser (she/her) ❌👑 @emilylhauser.bsky.social · 3d

"It was — yeah, it was really — it was really horrifying, what they had to share."

Democracy Now! @democracynow.org · 3d

Moureen Kaki, an aid worker in Gaza, has spoken to many former Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of the ceasefire. "Everybody described torture," she says.

Palestinian Prisoners “Taken Hostage” by Israel Describe Torture

Palestinians who have been released from Israeli prisons as part of the hostage exchange with Hamas are describing physical and psychological torture, medical neglect, deprivation and more. Moureen Ka...

www.democracynow.org

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 5d

Happy Friday! It's a good day to pause and take in a story or two. Earlier this year, I started The Guarded Domains, a Substack on #Iran, war, identity, & the narratives that shape a people. I try to write with care and keep it accessible. If that resonates with you, please join me for the ride.

The Guarded Domains | Reza H. Akbari | Substack

Iran's sociopolitical history, blended with personal experience. Click to read The Guarded Domains, by Reza H. Akbari, a Substack publication. Launched 4 months ago.

guardeddomains.substack.com

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 7d

Cross-dressing in Iranian cinema is ripe for academic exploration in fields like queer studies, film, performance art, & cultural studies. From Akbar Abdi (and other men) playing women to Elnaz Shakerdoost playing a man, there’s a lot of gender-bending to challenge norms and censors. #Iran

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 9d

Back to square one. The frustrating game of "you move first, no you move first, if you move, we may move..." has begun. The issue with #Iran's current approach is that it allows Trump to dictate the playing field. amwaj.media/en/media-mon...

Inside story: Iran skips invite to Gaza summit, but will ‘engage’ with ‘fair US proposal’

The story: Iran has declined an invitation to attend the high-profile Gaza peace summit in Egypt. Co-chaired by US President Donald Trump, the event will gather more than a dozen world leaders. Politi...

amwaj.media

Reposted by Reza H. Akbari

Christian Callisen @ctcallisen.bsky.social · 10d

Medieval and Early Modern MENA Starter Pack (@brianjulrich.bsky.social)

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 11d

To celebrate 63 years of diplomatic ties, the South Korean ambassador to Tehran sang the iconic Persian folk song "Jan-e Maryam." Who needs nuclear sanctions or nonproliferation summits when you can disarm Iran with...your...voice? #Iran

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12d

I'd also say that the overall regional balancing act does somewhat echo Shah's approach. Qatar is also trying to position itself as an indispensable bridge between America and the region.

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12d

Yes. There're many similarities in the broad strokes. Deepened military & economic ties w/ the U.S.; intelligence cooperation, hosting U.S. military personnel, leveraging oil wealth to fund universities/think tanks, projecting soft power by hosting international sport events, etc.

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12d

There are strong elements of #Qatar's foreign policy toward the U.S. that mirror Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's approach in the 1960s–70s. Not a normative statement. Just noting the playbook isn’t new, and it tends to be effective for a time. #Iran

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12d

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Reposted by Reza H. Akbari

Kragdar @kragdar.bsky.social · 14d

“I continue to write because that’s all I know, but there is little left to say. The sanctions road has been traveled many times, with results falling far short of the stated objectives.”

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 16d

Sanctions have returned and for many in #Iran, so has the familiar dread, fatigue, and despair. In my latest piece, I reflect on a decade of broken diplomacy, and the quiet violence of the politics of exhaustion. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/the-snapba...

The Snapback Spiral

Sanctions, Fatigue, and Politics of Exhaustion in Iran

guardeddomains.substack.com

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Reposted by Reza H. Akbari

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 16d

Sanctions have returned and for many in #Iran, so has the familiar dread, fatigue, and despair. In my latest piece, I reflect on a decade of broken diplomacy, and the quiet violence of the politics of exhaustion. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/the-snapba...

The Snapback Spiral

Sanctions, Fatigue, and Politics of Exhaustion in Iran

guardeddomains.substack.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 16d

Sanctions have returned and for many in #Iran, so has the familiar dread, fatigue, and despair. In my latest piece, I reflect on a decade of broken diplomacy, and the quiet violence of the politics of exhaustion. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/the-snapba...

The Snapback Spiral

Sanctions, Fatigue, and Politics of Exhaustion in Iran

guardeddomains.substack.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 17d

My latest on sanctions, fatigue, and politics of exhaustion in #Iran. open.substack.com/pub/guardedd...

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 18d

I launched The Guarded Domains earlier this year—a Substack on #Iran, war, identity, & the stories that shape a people. The aim is to be thoughtful yet accessible. Please read and subscribe if you care to join me for the ride. guardeddomains.substack.com/about

About - The Guarded Domains

Iran's sociopolitical history, blended with personal experience. Click to read The Guarded Domains, by Reza H. Akbari, a Substack publication. Launched 3 months ago.

guardeddomains.substack.com

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 25d

Horrendous news for #Iran and Iranians, particularly those living inside the country. I'm personally exhausted, disappointed, and infuriated at countless domestic and foreign actors who could have taken better steps to prevent this outcome, but failed. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/w...

Iranians Brace for Economic Impact of New U.N. Sanctions

www.nytimes.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 25d

World leaders posture at #UNGA80. Talk of snapback sanctions swirls. Ordinary Iranians wait in uncertainty. And yet life goes on in the streets of Tehran. #Iran

HaftHoz Square, Narmak Square, Tehran. September 2025.

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 25d

Still an evolving process. For now, it seems to be anywhere his humans go and I mean ANYWHERE. :)

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 26d

Iran has reportedly offered "immediate" IAEA access to its Natanz nuclear facility, provided that E3 backs Russian resolution to delay UN sanctions. amwaj.media/en/article/i... #Iran #Israel

Scoop: Iran offers 'immediate' IAEA access to bombed Natanz nuclear site if Europe backs Russian 'snapback' extension

In a major climbdown geared to avert the reimposition of UN sanctions, Iran has offered to immediately open the Natanz uranium enrichment to foreign inspectors, Amwaj.media has learned. The undergroun...

amwaj.media

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Reposted by Reza H. Akbari

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 28d

Thread: This summer, during the 12-Day War between #Iran and #Israel, I launched a Substack page called The Guarded Domains to process the events that were unfolding at a maddening pace. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/welcome-to... 1/7

Welcome to The Guarded Domains!

I am launching this space at the tail end of a nerve-racking period for Iran, Israel, and the broader Middle East region.

guardeddomains.substack.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 27d

Forget about #Iran's nuclear program, I guess the real threat was always 5-gallon Nutella and 70-pound contraband cheese wheels! www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/w...

Iranian Diplomats in the U.S. Are Barred From Shopping at Costco

www.nytimes.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 28d

he final part of Scattered Thoughts from a War explored the rise of nationalism in #Iran—where Ashura rituals, patriotic anthems, and state messaging fused. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/lines-in-t... 7/7

Lines in the Sand, Flags in the Air

‘Neo-Nationalism’ on the Rise in Iran Amid Israeli Strikes

guardeddomains.substack.com

Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 28d

18 days after the ceasefire, confusion and trauma lingered. In Part III, I reflected on shared grief, fragmented memories, and the strange comfort of gallows humor. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/wandering-... 6/7 #Iran

Wandering Minds and Wandering Missiles

Scattered Thoughts from a War - Part III

guardeddomains.substack.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 28d

What does war look like for civilians caught in the crossfire? From chaotic evacuations to quiet acts of resistance, Part II of Scattered Thoughts from a War explored how ordinary Iranians endured the trauma of bombardment and propaganda. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/scattered-... 5/7 #Iran

The Civilian Frontlines

Scattered Thoughts from a War - Part II

guardeddomains.substack.com

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