My research and analysis center on Iran and the wider Middle East, bridging academic history and contemporary policy. I work across the long twentieth century of Iranian politics and ideas as well as the diplomacy that shapes the region today.
Areas of expertise
- Modern Iranian history & intellectual history — nationalism, intellectuals, state formation, and the making of modern Iran.
- Iranian politics & society — domestic politics, state–society relations, protest, and legitimacy.
- EU–Iran & transatlantic relations — diplomacy, sanctions, and the politics of engagement.
- The nuclear file — negotiations, the JCPOA, and non-proliferation diplomacy.
- Gulf & regional security — regional rivalries, common security, and human rights.
Current research
My recent historical work examines state building and defensive modernisation in late Qajar and early Pahlavi Iran — including the Swedish-led gendarmerie in Persia (1911–1916) — alongside continued analysis of contemporary Iranian politics and the country’s relations with Europe and its neighbours.
A complete and current publication list is maintained on my Google Scholar profile and the Lund University research portal. See also Books & papers and Newspaper analysis.