Ali Ansari
@aa51_ansari
Followers
8K
Following
8K
Media
149
Statuses
3K
Academic but not irrelevant
Joined November 2017
No. 1 in the UK for History! The School of History at the University of St Andrews has been ranked No. 1 in the UK in The Guardian University Guide 2026! (1/3)
2
4
26
Some choice comments about St Andrews students here (Along with some excellent archival recordings of John Knox…)
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 ⚔️Mary, Queen of Scots: The Royal Rivals⚔️ The action moves to the glittering, treacherous world of the French court, as a stellar immediate family and canny manoeuvring see Mary installed as Queen of both Scotland and France simultaneously. To her supporters,
0
0
5
There is nothing new about the Islamic Republic's affectation for Iran's pre-Islamic past. https://t.co/2GLpheb2B5
0
3
13
Fascinating brief cantor by @aa51_ansari through the Islamic Republic's various efforts to tolerate, repress, and co-opt (sometimes simultaneously) the Iranian national past, putting in context the recent falling back on nationalism in a time of trouble.
1
5
10
Substack in July Questions and Answers The Anglo-Iranian Relationship, with @aa51_ansari
@Clarkstopher on 1848: The Revolutionary Spring
1
2
1
An excellent antidote to much of the hyperbole currently awash on Iranian social media 👇
Evergreen response to the "Aw-shucks, the Islamic Republic is doing nationalism" posts: 🧵Overview: 1. Iranian nationalism(s) 2. Not a true "Aryan nationalist" pivot but sign of weakness 3. Failed attempt(s) to co-opt backlash 4. The Islamic Republic lost the "soft war" 1/
0
2
4
Coming up on The Briefing Room on Radio 4 at 4 and @BBCSounds @DAaronovitch and guests discuss what’s next for Iran. @shashj @LinaKhatibUK @aa51_ansari Dr Patricia Lewis
bbc.co.uk
David Aaronovitch and guests consider the implications of the Israel Iran conflict.
2
11
10
Do No Harm A century of Iranian democratic aspirations and the shortcomings of Western policy. https://t.co/2GLpheb2B5
0
6
14
Interested in a deeper dive into Iranian history and politics, please sign up to my Substack. https://t.co/JbFgfjJtfT
0
7
23
To understand more about Iran today, THE IDEA OF PERSIA published by Gingko explores both the history of the idea and its possibilities for the future:
press.uchicago.edu
Exploring the idea of Persia as a means of investigating the soul of this fascinating nation. In 1721, the French philosopher Montesquieu posed the question, “Comment peut-on être persan?” in the...
I just received a signed copy of The Idea of Persia by Ramin Jahanbegloo, a generous gift from someone I consider my closest and dearest intellectual friend. Given the current turmoil in Iran, the book stirred something deep in me. It urged me to write not just about the book but
0
4
8
My summation of Iran’s nuclear programme in all its incoherence.
The price of Iran’s nuclear prestige | @aa51_ansari
https://t.co/nTLGOTqunI
1
17
38
Social media platforms are banned inside Iran and only accessible to most citizens through tools like VPNs, but the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has embraced “Twitter diplomacy", a strategy pioneered by President Trump, writes @hdagres.
washingtoninstitute.org
In a bid to appease—and manipulate—the pioneer of “Twitter diplomacy,” Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator has adopted President Trump’s social media style while seeking favorable terms for the next big...
2
2
7