Iran’s Global Intimidation Machine: Journalism, Exile, and Keeping Dissent Alive

“There is no belief in a democratic process in Iran right now.”

In this episode, I speak with Fariba Nawa, the Afghan-American investigative journalist, podcaster, and chief editor of OnSpec Podcast, about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s global campaign to threaten, kidnap, and kill dissidents living abroad.

Fariba shares how her own life as a refugee has informed her work, and discusses the process of making Lethal Dissent, her powerful nine-part podcast series on Iranian state repression and transnational intimidation.

As we explore how identity, trust, and access shape what can be reported, Fariba explains her refusal to flatten global events into easy binaries and why, from Afghanistan to Turkey and Iran, the story is never as simple as just “good guys vs. bad guys”.

She also opens up about her experiences of journalism under pressure and the toll of doing work that is both personally risky and politically urgent.

Fariba’s reporting is a reminder that real beat journalism still matters, and that going wherever the story leads while trying to maintain objectivity isn’t only possible, it’s crucial.

You can support Fariba’s work by visiting her website at faribanawa.com, buying her book Opium Nation, listening to Lethal Dissent here (or wherever you get your podcasts), and funding her next investigation.

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