Buy Farhad Khosrokhavar’s book here: https://editionsdelaube.fr/catalogue_de_livres/iran-la-fin-du-totalitarisme/
In this EISMENA interview, Christine speaks with sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar about his new book, “Iran, la fin du totalitarisme?”, and the paradox at the heart of the Iranian political system: a regime that remains deeply repressive, yet has never fully succeeded in silencing society. Khosrokhavar analyzes the role of the Revolutionary Guards, the militarization of the economy, corruption, environmental repression, youth-led protests, and the limits of opposition inside and outside Iran. He also reflects on the impact of foreign military intervention, the question of regime survival, and why Iran’s younger generation continues to challenge a political order built on repression, martyrdom, and control.
Guest: Farhad Khosrokhavar
Interviewer: Christine Simatos
Chapters
00:00 — Why write Iran, la fin du totalitarisme ? now?
00:47 — The nature of the Iranian political system
01:13 — “Fascism without power”: totalitarianism and the Revolutionary Guards
02:22 — Social protest and repression in Iran
03:10 — Khosrokhavar’s sociological method and social movements
04:32 — Corruption as part of the political system
06:23 — Everyday life, repression, and the enrichment of the regime
07:48 — Environmental repression and the dam-building economy
09:12 — Civil society versus a deeply repressive state
09:29 — Youth, joy, and the regime’s culture of mourning
10:16 — War, foreign intervention, and the limits of air strikes
12:21 — Nuclear infrastructure, survival, and the bomb question
14:13 — Reza Pahlavi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and possible alternatives
19:20 — Iranian youth, universities, and the demand for freedom
20:38 — What role does Iran’s young generation play today?
21:26 — The missing piece: organization and leadership
22:47 — Internet shutdowns and the regime’s control strategy
23:27 — Why opposition leadership may emerge from outside Iran
24:28 — The Iranian paradox: recurring protests, durable repression
25:29 — Why young people remain central to social protest
26:43 — The January 2026 protests and mass repression
27:18 — Iran, the United States, Israel, and a geopolitical impasse
28:04 — The Strait of Hormuz and the limits of American pressure
29:39 — Civilian costs and the unresolved crisis
32:51 — Is the end of totalitarianism really near?
33:39 — Why the question mark matters in the book title
34:18 — War, nationalism, and the regime’s short-term survival
36:07 — Iran–U.S. mistrust and the search for compromise
37:04 — Clausewitz, war, and the absence of rational political strategy
38:07 — Regime survival versus the wellbeing of Iranian society