Hossein Bastani

Hossein Bastani is an academic researcher and investigative journalist specialising in Iranian political affairs, with particular expertise in the political discourse of Iranian leaders with a particular focus on Ali Khamenei, the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iran-Iraq War, the political and security structures of the Islamic Republic, the dynamics of political factions within the Iranian government, and the formation and trajectory of Iranian opposition movements. 

 Since 2010, Hossein has been a permanent staff member at BBC Persian, working as a producer, documentary filmmaker, and political analyst. Prior to joining the BBC, he spent more than a decade producing in-depth reports and analyses on both domestic and foreign aspects of Iranian affairs for various political media outlets.  Throughout his tenure at BBC Persian, Hossein has created tens of investigative programmes, delving into critical topics in the fields of history, politics, security and military affairs. Hossein’s investigative television productions include the following programmes and documentaries: “The Poisoned Chalice: Iran’s Missed Opportunities in the War”, “Defamation to Protect the Regime”, “The Creeping Coup in the IRGC”, “Ayatollah Khamenei’s Security Discourse”, “A Nuclear Fatwa”, “The Khorramshahr Turning Point: Untold Stories of Iran’s Air Force”, “Rescuing Tehran’s Agents in Europe”, “The Leader’s Final Decisions”, and “The Confidential Dossier of the Ukrainian Plane.”  In addition to his TV productions, Hossein has authored more than two thousand investigative reports and analytical articles on Iran’s domestic and foreign policies.  

Hossein's analyses and research are frequently referenced and widely cited by fellow journalists, academic researchers and books, and broader social media audiences, underscoring their influence and credibility in the field.    His primary focus has been on Persian-speaking audiences; however, his expertise has also reached international platforms. His analyses have been published by globally recognised institutions and media outlets such as Chatham House, Foreign Policy, Time Magazine, the New York Times, BBC News, The Guardian, Institut français d'analyse stratégique and Libération.  As a doctoral researcher, Hossein's work focuses on the political discourse of Ali Khamenei following his ascent to the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran. His research aims to uncover the defining characteristics of Khamenei’s discourse and to analyse its evolution over time through a combined quantitative and qualitative methodological approach.

Hossein’s primary research interests lie in the political discourse of Iranian leaders particularly that of Ali Khamenei, the historical and institutional development of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Iran-Iraq War, the political and security architecture of the Islamic Republic, the evolution of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the dynamics of internal political factions, and the emergence and transformation of Iranian opposition movements.