The Lion and The Sun: A Modern History of Iran
A narrative history podcast about modern Iran, tracing how the country arrived at its present moment through the competing forces of religion, monarchy, democracy and nationalism. The first book covers the Qajar dynasty, when the constitutional revolution created Iran's first parliament and foreign meddling and political betrayal set the stage for Reza Khan's rise. The second book follows Reza Shah, the soldier who became the founding Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, his radical modernization of the state and his eventual downfall. A third book, on oil, is scheduled for January 2026. New episodes are released every other Wednesday.
Episodes
Book Three – Ep.7: The People v. AIOC
With British warships looming off Abadan and an economic war squeezing Iran, Britain drags the oil dispute before the United Nations, and Mosaddegh crosses the ocean to fight it himself.
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Earlier Chapters of The Oil Dispute:
Book One – Episode 8: Anglo-Persian Oil Company
Book Two – Episode 4: Angl
Book Three – Ep.6: Nationalization – Part Two
With nationalization signed and Mosaddegh in office, Britain cuts off Iran’s oil exports and moves warships into the Gulf. Secret documents expose decades of political interference, American mediation fails, and Iran finds itself in a standoff it cannot easily win.
Listen to part one of Nationalization here.
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Book Three – Ep.5: Nationalization (1)
Failed negotiations, assassination, and a vote that changed Iran’s history. As pressure builds and compromise collapses, Mohammad Mosaddegh leads a united nation towards oil nationalization.
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Earlier Chapters of The Oil Dispute:
Book One – Episode 8: Anglo-Persian Oil Company
Book Two – Episode 4
Book Three – Ep.4: Paper City
Iran’s oil had enriched Britain and left its workers in shanty towns.When a deadly strike erupts and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company refuses to yield, a veteran constitutionalist steps forward to fight for control of the nation’s oil.
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Earlier Chapters of The Oil Dispute:
Book One – Episode 8:
Book Three – Ep.3: New Friends
As Cold War tensions rise, Iran and the United States become unlikely allies. After surviving an assassination attempt, Mohammad Reza Shah moves to consolidate power and reshape Iran’s political order.
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Episode Summary
In February 1949, there was an assassination attempt on Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Book Three – Ep.2: ADP
As World War II ends, Iran becomes the first battleground of the Cold War. After Stalin reaches for northern oil, a calculated gamble in Tehran determines whether the country will split or survive.
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Episode Summary
As World War II ended, the world shifted. Britain weakened. The United States and the
Book Three – Ep.1: Tehran Conference
After Reza Shah’s abdication, the young Mohammad Reza Pahlavi takes the throne. As Iran struggles with the aftermath of the Anglo-Soviet invasion, Allied leaders gather in Tehran to plan the next phase of the war.
Book Two RecapBook One Recap
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Episode Summary
In 1941, following th
Book Two Recap
In 1944, Reza Shah died alone.
Banished from his homeland and despised by his people.
But even his most bitter critics couldn’t deny one thing:
He was the architect of a new Iran.The creator of a modern empire.
Season three of The Lion and the Sun Podcast will start airing next week. While you can enjoy this season on its own, having some background never hurts.
If you have the
Book Three Trailer
Kermit Roosevelt was on a mission that night.
To overthrow Iran’s prime minister and take back control of its oil.
Listen to new chapters from January 28th 2026.
In book three of The Lion and the Sun, we look at how Iran’s bid to nationalize its oil pulled the CIA into Iranian politics and set the stage for a covert operation that removed its democratically elected leader.
A
Book Two – Special Episode: Exiled King
Our podcast is a Finalist in the 2025 Signal Awards in the History category!
Vote for the listener’s choice award here.
This is a special episode of The Lion and the Sun to celebrate our nomination:
As Iran crowns a new king, Reza Shah is forced into exile.Stripped of power and family, the fallen monarch begins his final chapter in isolation.
Thank you so much for your support a
Book Two – Ep.10: Abdication
In the season two finale, Britain and the Soviet Union invade Iran in hopes of a regime change …
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Sources for this episode.
Episode Summary
On August 25, 1941, Iran faced a coordinated invasion by British and Soviet forces. The military, unprepared for such an assault, collapsed swiftly. Nav
Book Two – Ep.9: World War II
As the Second World War breaks out, Iran declares neutrality. But Britain and the Soviet Union fear that Reza Shah’s ties with Germany could tip the balance of power in the Middle East.
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Sources for this episode.
Episode Summary
In the late 1930s, Europe braced for conflict as Adolf Hitler expanded German t
Book Two – Ep.8: The Heir
Groomed for power from childhood, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was more than a prince. He was Reza Shah’s guarantee for a successful political project.
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Episode Summary
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was born into a family driven by ambition and structured by discipline. His father, Reza Khan, was a military o
Book Two – Ep.7: Unveiling
After his first foreign trip, Reza Shah declares war on Islam and orders women to remove their hijab.
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Episode Summary
The drive for Iran’s modernization, particularly the push for secular reforms, began in the 1920s, when Reza Shah came to power. He marked his rule by efforts to modernize Iran’s inf
Book Two – Ep.6: Triumvirate (2)
Murder, Banishment and Suicide.
As Reza Shah’s rule becomes more authoritarian, the alliance that put him in power comes to a bitter end.
Listen to part one here.
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Episode Summary
Firuz, a Qajar prince and veteran statesman, had once held top roles across Iranian governments, including M
Book Two – Ep.5: Triumvirate (1)
Behind the Pahlavi dynasty were three politicians: the kingmakers who orchestrated Reza Khan’s rise and shaped his rule. But as Reza Shah tightened his grip on power, this alliance of three faced exile, prison, and death
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Additional listening: AIOC
Read about Nowruz Celebration on our blog.
Episod
Book Two – Ep.4: AIOC
A torn-out contract, a paranoid shah, and Iran’s most lucrative resource. With Iran’s oil deal up for renewal, Reza Shah clashes with the British and grows suspicious of his closest allies.
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Additional listening: APOC (Book one – Ep.3):
Episode Summary
In the early 20th century,
Book Two – Ep.3: God, Shah, Nation
A new king, a unified nation, and a country on the brink of transformation. As Reza Shah Pahlavi seizes power, he reshapes Iran with relentless ambition, even at the cost of its democracy.
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Episode Summary
The Qajar dynasty had left Iran fragmented, with weak central au
Book Two – Ep.2: Constituent Assembly
In the aftermath of the parliament’s vote to abolish the Qajar dynasty, Reza Khan and his team lay the groundwork for his ascension to the throne and his official coronation as the new king.
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Episode Summary
On October 31, 1925, with the vote of Iran’s Natio
Book Two – Ep.1: A New Dynasty
As Iran’s exiled king prepares to return, the parliament grants Prime Minister sweeping powers. With the help of his rivals, Reza Khan sets out to dismantle the century-old Qajar Dynasty.
Book One Recap: Audio, Video
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Episode Summary
Reza Khan, a soldier from humble origins, rose
Book One Recap
The Qajar dynasty was the embodiment of ineffectiveness. Tyrants incapable of true tyranny.
This is the story of their demise.
Season two of The Lion and the Sun Podcast will start next week. If you’re new to this show, we suggest starting with book one and working your way here! But if you’re not into revisiting the past or are one of our older listeners who has already listened to the pre
Book Two Trailer
Down with the Qajars. Long Live Reza Shah.
Listen to new chapters from January 29th.
As we’re recording this, Iran is experiencing a wide range of issues.
Both internal turmoil and external conflicts.
But the fascinating thing about this statement is that it doesn’t matter when you’re listening to this podcast. It could be a week from now, a month, or even years.
No ma
Book One – Special Episode: Arabistan (2)
Reza Khan’s army marches toward Arabistan, Khaz’al tries to unite local tribes against the government and the battle for Arabistan reaches its breaking point.
This is part two of a special episode of The Lion and the Sun to celebrate reaching 100k downloads. Listen to part one here.
Thank you so much for your support and for listening to our show.
We’ll be back in January 20
Book One – Special Episode: Arabistan (1)
A defiant Sheikh, a province rich in oil, and Reza Khan’s push to unify a fractured Iran. The story of Arabistan and how one local tribe became the biggest threat to Persia.
This is a special two-part episode of The Lion and the Sun to celebrate reaching 100k downloads. Thank you so much for your support and for listening to our show.
We’ll be back in January 2025 with season 2!
Follow u
Book One – Ep.10: Brave New World
In the season finale of the podcast, Reza Khan aims for total control, the young shah flees his country and Iran braces itself for a brave new world.
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Listen to all book one episodes on our website.
Episode Summary
Persia had been rocked by political instability in the years foll
Book One – Ep.9: The Coup
A new player emerges in Persian politics…How a journalist and a military lieutenant orchestrated the 1921 coup d’état and how Reza Khan gained control of Iran’s military and became an influential player in the government.
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Episode Summary
In the early 1920s, Persia
Book One – Ep.8: APOC
The biggest oil field the world had ever seen, a foreign military occupation and a socialist revolution in the north. As Russia’s influence wanes, Britain seizes control of Iran’s newfound oil wealth and expands its influence in the region.
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Episode Summary
In the early 2
Book One – Ep.7: The Great War
As the great war breaks out in Europe, Persia is turned into the ultimate proxy battleground. The story of the First World War and how British, Russian, and German forces competed for control in Iran.
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Episode Summary
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hu
Book One – Ep.6: Russian Roulette
An old king tries to reclaim his throne, the United States sends help for the country’s finances, and Russia invades Iran. The complicated history of Iran and Russia and how the Russian influence impacted Iran’s democracy and crippled its government throughout the years.
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E
Book One – Ep.5: Battle of Tehran
Two constitutionalist armies arrive at the gates of Tehran and Mohammad Ali Shah prepares the capital of Iran for an all-out war. How the battle of Tehran reshaped the future of democracy in Iran and how the country was forced to change in its aftermath.
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Episode Summary
After the bo
Book One – Ep.4: The Bombardment
How Mohammad Ali Shah laid siege to the parliament building, ending Iran’s brief experiment with democracy. Discover the story of the Majlis bombardment and the Iranian guerrilla warfare to reclaim their hard-fought freedom.
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Episode Summary
On June 2nd, 1908, the Iranian parli
Book One – Ep.3: Tale of Two Shahs
What comes after establishing democracy in a nation? Protecting it at all costs.
In this episode, the ideals of democracy clash with the limitations of Islam and the new Shah maneuvers to undermine the parliament’s authority, even as the people take to the streets to defend their hard-won freedoms.
Episode Summary
In the fall of 1906, after months of strikes and protests, Iranians
Book One – Ep.2: Persian Awakening
What can you do when the king is assassinated, prices are high and the country is in crisis? You demand a parliament. The story of how Persia’s first national assembly (Majlis) was established and how democracy found its way into Iran.
Episode Summary
In this episode, we look at the events of 1906 that catalyzed the Persian Constitutional Revolution. It begins with an assassination.
Book One – Ep.1: The Fatwah
How a religious ban on tobacco jump started the fight for Persia's democracy. The story of the Qajar dynasty, their attempt at auctioning Persia's resources and how Iranians came together to fight foreign influence and protect their right to smoke.
Trailer
Welcome to the Lion and the Sun: A Modern History of Iran
New episodes every two weeks on Wednesdays.
The post Trailer appeared first on The Lion and The Sun Podcast.
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