Reza H. Akbari
@rezahakbari.bsky.social
PhD Candidate AU History - Program Manager IWPR MENA - Iranian-American - [email protected] - I write The Guarded Domains, a Substack newsletter focused on Iran and the broader Middle East region. https://guardeddomains.substack.com
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Reza H. Akbari
@rezahakbari.bsky.social
· Jul 12
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
guardeddomains.substack.com
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
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
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...
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.
www.nytimes.com
September 3, 2026 at 3:29 PM
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...
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.
August 10, 2026 at 7:26 PM
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.
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
Trump issues expletive-laden threat to Iran after Jordan attacks
YouTube video by TRT World Now
youtu.be
July 30, 2026 at 11:26 PM
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
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
July 24, 2026 at 8:14 PM
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
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
July 24, 2026 at 5:35 PM
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
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
July 20, 2026 at 7:44 PM
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
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
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...
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
guardeddomains.substack.com
July 13, 2026 at 1:20 PM
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...
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...
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
guardeddomains.substack.com
July 13, 2026 at 1:20 PM
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...
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
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
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
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
guardeddomains.substack.com
July 12, 2026 at 2:33 PM
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
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
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
“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].”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:uekidjadyz3cstlxc4f5lwvx/bafkreigdpg6qlnigecjijpjseo7w6gyjb4wj5cp4sgiydkasg77p6rr56e)
July 12, 2026 at 3:22 PM
“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.”
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
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
When the War Came to Bushehr
Pages from a War – Part 9
guardeddomains.substack.com
July 12, 2026 at 2:33 PM
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
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
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
underrated poast
July 10, 2026 at 1:25 AM
underrated poast
Japan before the Islamic Republic.
July 10, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Japan before the Islamic Republic.
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...
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.
abcnews.com
July 9, 2026 at 2:35 PM
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...
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
An ongoing thread of the most memorable movie shots from Iranian cinema: #IranianCinema #Iran
July 7, 2026 at 2:51 PM
An ongoing thread of the most memorable movie shots from Iranian cinema: #IranianCinema #Iran
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
This is awesome.
An ongoing thread of the most memorable movie shots from Iranian cinema: #IranianCinema #Iran
July 7, 2026 at 2:59 PM
This is awesome.
An ongoing thread of the most memorable movie shots from Iranian cinema: #IranianCinema #Iran
July 7, 2026 at 2:51 PM
An ongoing thread of the most memorable movie shots from Iranian cinema: #IranianCinema #Iran
Ali Khamenei lies in state in Tehran as #Iran begins a week of funeral ceremonies. Foreign delegations file past the coffins of the slain Supreme Leader & members of his family. Each delegation is escorted into the hall by a brief military march. Then there is a short recitation from the Quran. 1/5
July 3, 2026 at 2:54 PM
Ali Khamenei lies in state in Tehran as #Iran begins a week of funeral ceremonies. Foreign delegations file past the coffins of the slain Supreme Leader & members of his family. Each delegation is escorted into the hall by a brief military march. Then there is a short recitation from the Quran. 1/5
Massive military flyovers are happening over the National Mall as part of the Freedom 250 celebrations and they are terrifying. My entire house shakes when the planes go by.
July 2, 2026 at 3:51 PM
Massive military flyovers are happening over the National Mall as part of the Freedom 250 celebrations and they are terrifying. My entire house shakes when the planes go by.
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
Incredible stories from #Iran, Kharg Island.
"The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were...Do you know what their greatest concern was?
The gazelles. Kharg Island is home to a native population of gazelles. There are around 200 to 300 of them..."
"The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were...Do you know what their greatest concern was?
The gazelles. Kharg Island is home to a native population of gazelles. There are around 200 to 300 of them..."
To help make these voices accessible to a wider English-speaking audience, I started translating selected personal reflections on my Substack. My latest continues through southern #Iran, among the regions hit hardest by the conflict. It features two accounts from Bandar Abbas & one from Kharg. 2/2
War at the Water’s Edge
Pages from a War – Part 8
guardeddomains.substack.com
July 2, 2026 at 6:44 AM
Incredible stories from #Iran, Kharg Island.
"The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were...Do you know what their greatest concern was?
The gazelles. Kharg Island is home to a native population of gazelles. There are around 200 to 300 of them..."
"The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were...Do you know what their greatest concern was?
The gazelles. Kharg Island is home to a native population of gazelles. There are around 200 to 300 of them..."
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
An account of Kharg Island during the war:
“The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were. Every night they would sit beside the runway, smoke hookah, and gaze out at the sea. Do you know what their greatest concern was? The gazelles.”
“The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were. Every night they would sit beside the runway, smoke hookah, and gaze out at the sea. Do you know what their greatest concern was? The gazelles.”
The past 100 days of war have produced a growing body of diaries, oral testimonies, journalistic accounts, and personal reflections shared by Iranians across digital platforms. Together, they form a collective record that preserves the nation's memory of the moment. 1/2 #Iran
July 2, 2026 at 6:35 AM
An account of Kharg Island during the war:
“The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were. Every night they would sit beside the runway, smoke hookah, and gaze out at the sea. Do you know what their greatest concern was? The gazelles.”
“The island’s native residents, who probably number fewer than 50, stayed where they were. Every night they would sit beside the runway, smoke hookah, and gaze out at the sea. Do you know what their greatest concern was? The gazelles.”
US homeland security secretary on #Iran’s elimination from the World Cup: “I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.” www.theguardian.com/football/202...
US security chief ‘danced a happy dance’ after Iran’s World Cup elimination
Markwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, said: ‘I might’ve sung a song or two,’ when Iran were knocked out after three group-stage draws
www.theguardian.com
July 1, 2026 at 2:52 AM
US homeland security secretary on #Iran’s elimination from the World Cup: “I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave the US soil and I might’ve sung a song or two or maybe even danced a happy dance.” www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
Someday I want to see a really well reported story from the Iranian side on how they managed to systematically destroy the entire US military base archipelago America had built and relied on for decades, and why the US couldn’t protect them. We kind of shrug and move on but it’s astonishing.
June 30, 2026 at 12:27 PM
Someday I want to see a really well reported story from the Iranian side on how they managed to systematically destroy the entire US military base archipelago America had built and relied on for decades, and why the US couldn’t protect them. We kind of shrug and move on but it’s astonishing.
The past 100 days of war have produced a growing body of diaries, oral testimonies, journalistic accounts, and personal reflections shared by Iranians across digital platforms. Together, they form a collective record that preserves the nation's memory of the moment. 1/2 #Iran
June 30, 2026 at 2:04 PM
The past 100 days of war have produced a growing body of diaries, oral testimonies, journalistic accounts, and personal reflections shared by Iranians across digital platforms. Together, they form a collective record that preserves the nation's memory of the moment. 1/2 #Iran
Reposted by Reza H. Akbari
Here from @rezahakbari.bsky.social is another set of Iranian war testimonies, two from Bandar Abbas and one from Kharg #Iran
War at the Water’s Edge
Pages from a War – Part 8
guardeddomains.substack.com
June 30, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Here from @rezahakbari.bsky.social is another set of Iranian war testimonies, two from Bandar Abbas and one from Kharg #Iran