Hi, Annabelle Quince here.

I've been working on Rear Vision for more than 20 years, and I keep finding myself drawn back to the Middle East.

With the Trump administration at war with Iran, we're all wondering: how did we actually get here?

The truth is, you can't really understand the tensions between Iran, the United States and its neighbours without going way back to 1953. That's when the CIA backed a coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected prime minister and helped install the Shah, whose rule would dominate the country for the next quarter-century.

From there the story moves to 1979 and the Iranian Revolution, when the Shah was finally forced out and the Ayatollah returned from exile, transforming Iran into the Islamic Republic we know today.

And then there's the story that's still unfolding: the years after 1979, and the extraordinary role Iranian women have continued to play in challenging and resisting the rule of the Ayatollahs.

In this special podcast, I go back through these three pivotal moments in 1953 and 1979 to help make sense of how we got from there to the headlines we're seeing today.

It's a convoluted journey and I hope you find it as interesting as I do. And for some more recent analysis on Iran, check out Global Roaming's episode on the Iranian women's football team.

Hope you have a great weekend.

For just over three weeks huge street protests have swept across Iran and threatened to topple The Islamic Republic regime of Iran. 

This is a special episode of Big Ideas brought to you by the ABC's specialist religion and ethics team.

The Iran football team's decision not to sing the national anthem during the AFC Women's Asian Cup was an act of silent protest. 

When you put on a jazz record, what do you hear? Well etched into that vinyl and living in that music is a long story that dates back 300 years to a dusty public square where slaves would sing and dance.

In this special hour-long conversation, Late Night Live UK political commentator Ian Dunt explores the parallels and distinctions between political developments in the United Kingdom and Australia.

In this episode, we dive into the design evolution of our beloved togs, bathers, and budgie smugglers.