Day 3 - Political Analysis

In this section a basic analysis of a typical political text in Persian will be conducted. Political texts in every language have their own peculiar stylistic, lexical and idiomatic characteristics. The study of these characteristics is essential for a correct understanding of the text and the underlying message that it is meant to convey. In the following lesson the main aspects related to the style, lexicology, grammar of the Persian political texts will be discussed.

Reading: Article 1: از تاریخ تا استراتژی: رمزگشایی معاهده جامع ایران و روسیه
(From history to strategy: decoding the Iran-Russia Comprehensive Treaty)

Article 2: توافق جامع ایران و روسیه؛ تلاشی برای ترویج نظم جهانی چندقطبی 
(The Iran-Russia Comprehensive Treaty: an effort for promoting a multipolar world order)

The present articles from the official IRNA news agency explore various aspects of the Iran-Russia Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signed in January 2025 in Moscow. Engaging with both lexical and idiomatic material in these texts will help students gasp a foundational understanding of Persian political terminology.

Listening: In the following video from "Iran International", Iran’s assumed fears of possible US-Russia reconciliation are being discussed. The expert tries to answer the question - did Moscow pass a message from US to Iran?

Additional Video: This additional listening material features a documentary from "Iran International" discussing recent developments in Iran’s "Resistance Axis". It will help students to develop a holistic understanding of the complexities in the relations between Iran and Russia, as well as other power centers involved in Middle East conflicts.

Subject of Conversation:  Iran-Russia relations and their impact on international politics (روابط ایران و روسیه و تأثیر آن بر سیاست بین‌الملل).

Students will be divided into three groups, each representing one of the major powers under discussion: Russia, Iran, and the United States. Special attention will be given to key aspects of current developments, including: the state of the war in Ukraine and its geopolitical implications, the situation within the "Resistance Axis", the factors driving deeper Russia-Iran cooperation and the potential outcomes of the evolving political landscape. The success of each group will depend on a number of factors, including: the use of the relevant vocabulary, grammatical correctness, argumentational flexibility, cooperation among the members, etc.

Homework:
- Please carefully read today’s texts and study the vocabulary. Translate the assigned section from the second text as directed by the instructor.
- Watch the documentary and complete the task selected by the instructor: summarize the main topics discussed in around 200 words (or) transcribe and translate the assigned minutes from the documentary.
- Prepare for the next day’s discussion.