Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
On this edition of Roqe, Dr. Shahram Kholdi (Southwestern Ontario) and Dr. Mahdi Ghodsi (Vienna) join Jian Ghomeshi for a timely and urgent conversation at what may be a consequential moment in the unfolding Iran crisis.
With a looming deadline set by Donald Trump threatening massive bombing if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, escalating strikes on infrastructure inside Iran, and growing uncertainty around how the Iranian people are responding, this panel examines where things stand - and what may come next.
Jian Ghomeshi opens the episode with a powerful essay titled “Iran Is Being Debated While Iranians Are Cut Off”, exploring the regime’s sweeping internet crackdown and what it means for truth, narrative, and the absence of Iranian voices in the global conversation.
In this episode:
The credibility and implications of Trump’s latest threat
Escalation on the ground - including strikes on oil fields and key institutions
Whether Iranians are rallying around the regime - or not
The impact of the internet blackout on information and perception
The rise in executions and what it signals
The current state of Iran’s economy
And whether the regime can survive what comes next
This is Roqe Episode 428 - Iran Rises - Consequential Moment.
This episode is supported by:
Quasar Homes - instagram.com/quasarhomes
Avoca Chocolates - avocachocolates.com
On this edition of Roqe, Dr. Shahram Kholdi (Southwestern Ontario) and Dr. Mahdi Ghodsi (Vienna) join Jian Ghomeshi for a timely and urgent conversation at what may be a consequential moment in the unfolding Iran crisis.
With a looming deadline set by Donald Trump threatening massive bombing if the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, escalating strikes on infrastructure inside Iran, and growing uncertainty around how the Iranian people are responding, this panel examines where things stand - and what may come next.
Jian Ghomeshi opens the episode with a powerful essay titled “Iran Is Being Debated While Iranians Are Cut Off”, exploring the regime’s sweeping internet crackdown and what it means for truth, narrative, and the absence of Iranian voices in the global conversation.
In this episode:
The credibility and implications of Trump’s latest threat
Escalation on the ground - including strikes on oil fields and key institutions
Whether Iranians are rallying around the regime - or not
The impact of the internet blackout on information and perception
The rise in executions and what it signals
The current state of Iran’s economy
And whether the regime can survive what comes next
This is Roqe Episode 428 - Iran Rises - Consequential Moment.
This episode is supported by:
Quasar Homes - instagram.com/quasarhomes
Avoca Chocolates - avocachocolates.com
