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Reza H. Akbari

@rezahakbari.bsky.social
2K followers 146 following 989 posts

PhD Candidate AU History - Program Manager IWPR MENA - Iranian-American - inforezaakbari@gmail.com - I write The Guarded Domains, a Substack newsletter focused on Iran and the broader Middle East region. guardeddomains.substack.com

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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 3h
Inside the Interior Ministry’s Election Headquarters during #Iran’s local elections on October 15, 1976. Voters chose members for 435 municipal councils, 162 city and town councils, and 238 regional education councils. Source: Rastakhiz Daily, October 16, 1976.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
After the win, the players and staff took advantage of being in the Kingdom & traveled to Mecca to perform Umrah. Pictured, left to right: Nasrollah Abdollahi, Hassan Nazari, Nasser Hejazi, Mohammad Sadeghi, Iraj Danaeifard, & Esmaeil Haj Rahimipour. Source: Rastakhiz Daily, Jan. 10, 1977. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
The #Iran national football team's 1977 pilgrimage to Mecca. During qualifying for the 1978 FIFA World Cup, Team Melli traveled to Riyadh to face Saudi Arabia. Under head coach Heshmat Mohajerani, Iran won 3–0 on January 7, 1977.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Also present were Prime Minister Amir Abbas Hoveyda; the presidents of the Senate & the National Consultative Assembly; the chairman of the National Iranian Oil Company; several ministers; the military chief of the Supreme Commander's Staff; & others. Source: Rastakhiz Daily, January 2, 1977. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi attends a mourning ceremony held by the Imperial Court at the Sepahsalar Mosque (Motahhari Mosque) to commemorate the month of Muharram and Imam Hussein's martyrdom. #Iran
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Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
Abu Aardvark @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
“to anyone watching the deployment of American power around the globe in the seven months since Mr. Trump decided to attack Iran, it was another glaring example of how..have been forced into retreat, pulling back military forces that had been deployed.” www.nytimes.com/2026/10/07/u...
nytimes.com
From Iran to the U.K., Trump Is Being Forced Into Retreat (Gift Article)
A war that was intended to demonstrate the reach of American power has now done the opposite. It is a lesson in unintended consequences.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A scene from Bazarcheh Marvi, Tehran's historic market alley right across from the iconic Shams-ol-Emareh palace. October 4, 1976. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Scathing criticism of Amnesty International from the Pahlavi state's official political party, Rastakhiz. The article accuses the organization of leading a Western-backed propaganda campaign meant to delegitimize Third World countries' efforts to defend their national independence: #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Iran's battle with imperialism, its desire for independence, ambition to be the guarantor of security in the Persian Gulf, and regional power projection did not begin today, and are not likely to end anytime soon. #Iran #IranWar Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1969:
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Reza Shah is seated on the Marble Throne at Golestan Palace, and a young Mohammad Reza Pahlavi can be seen standing to the left of the throne, wearing his crown-prince attire. Source: Rastakhiz Daily, April 25, 1976.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The first Nowruz greeting ceremony in 1926. Reza Shah's first year as #Iran's king. The photo was taken only a few months after Reza Shah's reign began and one month before his coronation ceremony was held.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The American warship USS Garcia docks at Abadan, #Iran. Its sailors tour the sights of Khuzestan, play a few sports matches against the Iranian Navy, and leave three days later. That's it. That's the whole story. Source: Ratsakhiz Daily, March 18, 1976.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Dance with Me. Sorush Sehhat. 2019. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Color of Paradise. Majid Majidi. 1999. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Worthy notes from #Iran. "An image that was once assumed widespread – that Iran is a nation kidnapped by our political establishment – is beginning to erode. In its place is another idea: that we're a nation at war w/ a hostile regional foe & its imperial backer." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Trump still thinks Iranians will ‘rise up’ against the government. In Tehran I see a different story | Hossein Hamdieh
If anything, the ongoing war is uniting a divided country against the foreign invaders. Washington seems a long way from grasping this point, says Hossein Hamdieh, a social researcher based in Tehran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The Sirik wedding tragedy will be etched into the collective memory of Iranians alongside the Minab school catastrophe. #Iran #IranWar www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/v...
nytimes.com
In Small Iranian Town, a U.S. Attack Turns a Wedding Into a Tragedy
The bomb that hit the residential area was American, according to a weapons expert and a visual analysis by The Times. It killed five people and wounded 67 others, the Iranian authorities said.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
It was a privilege to attend the Association for Iranain Studies Conference in Utrecht. Meeting many new colleagues and catching up with old friends was a joy.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
My interview with TRT World on Trump’s expletive-laden threats against #Iran and the heightened risk of regional escalation following Saudi Arabia’s overt entry into the war. youtu.be/REG3ZYCB5Gs
youtu.be
Trump issues expletive-laden threat to Iran after Jordan attacks
YouTube video by TRT World Now
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
May you rest in peace. Thank you for a lifetime of laughter. I hope your journey is gentle and full of light. 5/5
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Every role felt inhabited and unmistakably his. Whether making us laugh until we cried or revealing the quiet sadness beneath the humor, he possessed a rare gift. He could make every performance feel deeply human. 4/5
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
From the nostalgic coming-of-age series I'm Late for School Again to his iconic roles in Dariush Mehrjui's The Tenants, Ali Hatami's Delshodegan (Love-Stricken), Davood Mir-Bagheri's Snowman, Naser Taghvai's O Iran, and Reza Attaran's I Feel Sleepy. The list could go on and on. 3/5
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I grew up with his work. Like millions of Iranians, I laughed endlessly at his iconic comedic roles and was moved to tears by his performances in dramas like Ali Hatami's Mother. 2/5
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Devastated to hear the news of Akbar Abdi's passing. A legend. A king of comedy. A master of drama. A true actor. For nearly 50 years, he entertained an entire nation. 1/5 #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
As Fox News commentators and others like them debate which sites America should hit next, even salivating over civilian infrastructures like power plants as potential targets, millions across the country and the broader region are living in an anxious limbo, wondering what horrors may come next. 3/3
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Maybe I was just naive, or my innate optimism created blind spots, but I did not imagine I would witness anything to this extent in my lifetime. 2/3
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I am going to leave this here to preserve this moment. Some horrors also need to be preserved. A dark, unsettling, and dispiriting moment for #Iran, the Middle East, and the United States. A disaster in the making. And yes, an even bigger disaster than it already has been. 1/3
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Dior. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Dior's latest campaign was meant to be a tribute to timeless elegance. Iranians, however, immediately noticed something else: the latest vogue looked remarkably like what their dads, uncles, and teachers wore in the 1960s. The rest is meme history... #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
ICYMI: In my latest, I translate the testimony of a Bushehr resident who remained in the city during the initial weeks of the #IranWar‌, walking its streets, talking to people, & bearing witness to the fear, humor, & resilience of everyday life under fire. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/when-the-w...
guardeddomains.substack.com
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
ICYMI: In my latest, I translate the testimony of a Bushehr resident who remained in the city during the initial weeks of the #IranWar‌, walking its streets, talking to people, & bearing witness to the fear, humor, & resilience of everyday life under fire. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/when-the-w...
guardeddomains.substack.com
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
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Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
What does it mean to “hold on to life” in the middle of a war? In Bushehr, it meant fleeing w/ a fishbowl or a pair of lovebirds. Saving 2 flowerpots from a shattered shop. Tightening bolts on a construction site while warplanes circled overhead. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/when-the-w... 1/3 #Iran
guardeddomains.substack.com
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
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Chris Osieck @chrisosieck.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
“But what struck me was this: in the middle of all that chaos, what mattered to him were his flowerpots. The fact that in such conditions he was paying attention to his flowerpots. Those [things], those [moments], were signs of people clinging to life or clawing at it, refusing to let it go.”
He said, “Just now, while they were bombing, the suspended ceiling in my shop collapsed from the blast. Glass shattered everywhere. I reached in, grabbed only my flowerpots, and now I’m leaving the city. Then your Snapp request came through, and I thought, ‘Well, here’s another poor soul. I might as well take him with me.’” I told him, “No, I actually have something I need to do [and then I will return].”
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
With the latest round of strikes and clashes between #Iran and the United States unfolding along the Persian Gulf coastline, it may be more important than ever to look beyond the headlines and geopolitical calculations and see the war through the eyes of those most affected by it. 3/3
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
In my latest, I translate the testimony of a resident of Bushehr who remained in the city through weeks of bombardment, walking its streets, talking to people, and bearing witness to the fear, uncertainty, humor, and resilience of everyday life under fire. 2/3 #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
What does it mean to “hold on to life” in the middle of a war? In Bushehr, it meant fleeing w/ a fishbowl or a pair of lovebirds. Saving 2 flowerpots from a shattered shop. Tightening bolts on a construction site while warplanes circled overhead. guardeddomains.substack.com/p/when-the-w... 1/3 #Iran
guardeddomains.substack.com
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Gabbeh. Mohsen Makhmalbaf. 1997. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
A Cube of Sugar. Reza Mirkarimi. 2011. #Iran
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Dr. Rachel Schine @rachelschine.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
underrated poast
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Japan before the Islamic Republic.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A U.S. official says #Iran has downed roughly 30 American Reaper drones since the war began. They cost around $30 million each, so that’s close to $1 billion in losses. abcnews.com/Politics/ira...
abcnews.com
Iran has shot down 30 US Reaper drones, US official says
Iran claimed to have shot one Reaper down during U.S. strikes on Tuesday.
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Life and a Day. Saeed Roustayi. 2016. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Sooteh-Delan. Ali Hatami. 1977. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
An ongoing thread of the most memorable movie shots from Iranian cinema: #IranianCinema #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The Glass Agency. Ebrahim Hatamikia. 1998. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Under the Skin of the City. Rakhshan Banietemad. 2001. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
O Iran. Nasser Taghvai. 1989. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Mother. Ali Hatemi. 1991. #Iran
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Reza H. Akbari @rezahakbari.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The White Balloon. Jafar Panahi. 1995 #Iran
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Andy Trask @andytrask.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
This is awesome.
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