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The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program—With Sina Azodi

Sina Azodi joins the show to trace the history of Iran’s nuclear program, from the shah and the NPT to the JCPOA, Trump, and the recent war.

Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison

July 1, 2026

A newspaper stall showing an Etemad front page with a headline reading, in Farsi, “The night of the end of the JCPOA.”(Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images)

The Nation Podcasts

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The History of Iran’s Nuclear Program w/ Sina Azodi / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran’s nuclear program. The group discusses the Shah’s nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace, Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran’s nuclear policy, missed opportunities for diplomacy after 9/11, Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and why Biden didn’t revive the deal, and the recent war with Iran.

Grab a copy of Sina’s book Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran, and the Nuclear Question.

And contribute to ⁠GiveDirectly's campaign to help survivors of the earthquake in Venezuela⁠.

Note: In lieu of a news episode this week, we will be posting an interview relevant to the holiday.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East politics and director of the Middle East Studies program at George Washington University, returns to the show to talk about Iran’s nuclear program. The group discusses the shah’s nuclear agenda, Atoms for Peace; Iran’s signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; how the Iran-Iraq War influenced Iran’s nuclear policy; missed opportunities for diplomacy after 9/11; Trump’s withdrawal from the JCPOA and why Biden didn’t revive the deal; and the recent war with Iran.

Grab a copy of Sina’s book Iran and the Bomb: The United States, Iran, and the Nuclear Question.

And contribute to ⁠GiveDirectly’s campaign to help survivors of the earthquake in Venezuela⁠.

Note: In lieu of a news episode this week, we will be posting an interview relevant to the holiday.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Mutiny of the College-Educated Worker w/ Noam Scheiber / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Danny and Derek talk with Noam Scheiber, New York Times reporter and author, about the radicalization of American college graduates. They discuss a Starbucks union campaign, underemployment among recent grads, the Taylorization of white-collar jobs, AI, corporate fixation on labor costs, the “con” of college for millennials, and the collapse of meritocracy.

Buy your copy of Noam’s book on the subject, Mutiny: The Rise and Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Daniel BessnerTwitterDaniel Bessner is a historian of US foreign relations and is the author of, among other books, Imperialist Realism.


Derek DavisonDerek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.


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