Arash Azizi – författare

'A document of real optimism.' GuardianA window into the new Iran in the making, demanded by its activists, artists and citizensThe 2022–3 Women, Life, Freedom protests set Iran aflame. Today, the fire still burns, as Iranians all across the country down their tools and take to the streets to demand social and economic justice: the right to a normal life.In What Iranians Want, Arash Azizi shows us how Iranians nurtured the flame of resistance since the very inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979. From mass strikes in Kurdistan to Hijab burnings, for decades Iranians have put their lives on the line to demand a better future – an end to crushing poverty, political liberty and greater social equality.Ayatollah Khamenei’s order is built on sand. They may crush protestors in blood today but tomorrow Iranians will rise up again and proclaim their freedom.

‘An excellent contribution to our knowledge of Iran and Soleimani.’ Kim Ghattas, author of Black WaveWhen the US assassinated Qassem Soleimani, he was one of the most powerful men in Iran. Known as ‘the shadow commander’, he enacted the wishes of the country’s Supreme Leader across the Middle East, establishing the Islamic Republic as a major force in the region. But all this was a long way from where he began – on the margins of a nation whose ruler was seen as a friend of the West.  Through Soleimani, Arash Azizi examines how Iran came to be where it is today. Providing a rare insight into a country whose actions are often discussed but seldom understood, he reveals the global ambitions underlying Iran’s proxy wars, geopolitics and nuclear programme.