How should we understand the Islamic Republic of Iran? What does the enigmatic political system look like? Has the nuclear deal brought only good results or is there also a downside? Will the moderate President Rouhani be elected in next year’s elections and who are the possible successors to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei? How can we understand the alliance between Iran and the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad? Is the dominant ‘Sunni-Shia’ perspective really useful when trying to understand ongoing regional conflicts and ‘proxy wars’? By dealing with such questions this evening, Paul Aarts will help us to better understand this Iran.