Oral History News of November –December 2025
Compiled by Iranian Oral History Website
Translated by Fazel Shirzad
2026-01-07
Note: According to the Iran Oral History website, “Monthly News” is the title of a series of reports published on this website. These reports review news related to the website’s thematic focus as reflected in print and online media. Below are selected news items from November –December 2025:
►In line with improving the documentation system and strengthening the process of producing and recording oral history at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, the Minister issued decrees appointing Ali Darabi, Gholamreza Zarifian, Mohammad Javad Haqshenas, Hojjatollah Ayyoubi, Habibollah Esmaeili, Gholamreza Azizi, Hossein Sabti, Hadi Jafari-Nejad, Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei, and Behrouz Nedaei as members of the Policy Council for the Compilation of Oral History.
►The Director General for the Preservation of Works and Dissemination of the Values of the Sacred Defense in Ilam Province emphasized the necessity of preserving and collecting Sacred Defense documents, including photographs, letters, and correspondence, stating that these materials should be transformed into films, books, and artistic works so that the oral and written history of the imposed war is preserved for future generations.
►The Director of Sacred Defense Documents and Records in Khuzestan stated in a media interview that, as part of the ongoing project of the Sacred Defense Oral History Movement in Khuzestan Province, they are currently recording and documenting the memories of commanders and combatants of the highly classified Nasr Headquarters.
►The television series “The Imam’s Young Soldier”, centered on the life and memories of Mehdi Tahhanian and produced by Saeed Saadi, has entered the production phase and narrates a part of the oral history of the Sacred Defense.
►The Director of Sacred Defense Documents and Records in Khuzestan announced that the oral history project of the “Forty Witnesses” group is being implemented through the efforts of the General Directorate for the Preservation and Dissemination of the Values of the Sacred Defense and Resistance in Khuzestan, and that more than 600 hours of interviews have so far been recorded.
►The unveiling ceremony for the book Oral History of the Sacred Defense: The Art of Propaganda in War, narrated by Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Asoudi, was held on Sunday, 30 November 2025, with the presence of military figures as well as a number of veterans and researchers of the Sacred Defense, at the conference hall of the Center for Documents, Research, and Publication of Sacred Defense Knowledge and Jihad Narratives of the IRGC.
►The Head of the Oral History Studies Group at the Center for Documents, Research, and Publication of Sacred Defense Knowledge and Jihad Narratives of the IRGC stated that to date, the oral history of 12 officials and commanders in the field of Sacred Defense propaganda at the headquarters level has been conducted in 350 sessions, and among them, the oral histories of General Ahangaran and General Asoudi are the first books to have been published.
►At the unveiling ceremony of the book Oral History of the Sacred Defense: The Art of Propaganda in War, General Asoudi, the book’s narrator, recounted parts of his memories and experiences from the years of revolutionary struggle, the Sacred Defense, and his propaganda activities in the post-revolutionary period.
►The Telegram assistant “Learning Oral History”, which began operating in September, has now been updated with 600 specialized questions and answers in two areas—legal requirements of oral history interviews and editing and compilation in oral history—and also provides the possibility of adding further resources.
►The academic session “Religious Jurisprudence and Oral History”, as a prelude to the Fifteenth Annual Oral History Conference, was held at the General Directorate of Islamic Media Research.
►The session “Oral History and Fiction: A Strengthener or Weekender of War Literature?” as part of a series of issue-oriented meetings on narrative literature, was held by the Fiction Literature Office of the Art Bureau on Monday, 1 December 2025, at Somayeh Book Café. Mohammadreza Sharafi Khaboushan (writer) and Ahmad Shakeri (critic) were the guests of the program.
►The book “The Story of Royan” by Mohammad Ali Zamanian, an oral history of Dr. Saeed Kazemi Ashtiani and a narrative of the formation of the Royan Research Institute, reached its nineteenth edition.
►The second pre-session of the Oral History Conference series, focusing on “Hypothesis in Oral History”, was held at the General Directorate of Islamic Media Research.
►An educational workshop titled “Oral History and Interview Skills”, aimed at enhancing students’ abilities in recording and documenting the memories of Sacred Defense veterans, was held at Payam Noor University, Hajiabad Branch.
►On Tuesday, 9 December 2025, Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company, on the occasion of National Dam and Hydropower Plant Day and Research Week, unveiled a major project for compiling the oral history of this key industry, with the participation of more than 50 ministers, deputies, and senior managers from the past 36 years.
►The Head of the IRGC Center for Sacred Defense Documents and Research announced the extensive compilation of the oral history of Sacred Defense commanders and the production of the first documented day-by-day chronicle of the “Twelve-Day War” waged by the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran.
►The fourth part of the documentary “The Luminous Path”, from the series of oral history narratives of Bank Saderat Iran, focusing on the memories and experiences of female employees hired in the 1360s, 1970s, and 1980s was released.
►The Director General of Islamic Media Research described one of the most important actions of this institution as the recording of the oral history of religious scholars of the seminary, noting that over more than 20 years, the oral history of about 450 prominent scholars has been recorded, and for many of them, these works constitute the only existing visual records.
►The Coordinator of the Policy Council of the Oral History Committee of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, emphasizing the committee’s scientific and strategic approach, described its formation as one of the Minister’s fundamental and enduring initiatives, stating that the compilation of oral history has systematically and scientifically filled the gap in recording the lived experience of heritage governance.
►The Director of 27 Ba‘that Publishing announced that the oral history of Sardar Mohammad Hassan Mohaqqeqi—beginning with his childhood and birth in Rafsanjan, Kerman Province, and continuing through the end of the Sacred Defense, when he served as the commander of one of the brigades of the 27th Division—is on the verge of publication.
►The documentary “Hoveyda: An Audio Portrait”, featured at the 19th Cinema Verité Festival, has created an audio portrait of Iran’s former prime minister relying entirely on oral history.
►The book “The Tale of That Girl from Shiraz” by Zeinab Mowlaii, a 256-page volume from the “Spouses” series that narrates the life of Fatemeh Chaman-Khah, the wife of Sardar Hossein Nejat, has recently been released by Marz-o-Boom Publishing.
►The Head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Research Institute stated that the institute’s activities have expanded into the fields of oral history, a specialized museum, an archive center, and the production of extensive scholarly works, adding that more than 10,000 historical documents related to Hajj and pilgrimage have so far been collected.
►At a ceremony marking Research Week, the Scientific and Cultural Deputy of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) World Assembly unveiled 50 research and educational achievements. These works included studies on the status of Shi‘a communities, oral history, lifestyle, and educational textbooks in multiple languages. Fifteen distinguished researchers were also honored.
►The research meeting “Oral History Research: People’s Narratives, Interviewing, and Its Role in Recording and Documenting Historical Events” was held at Masoumeh (PBUH) Seminary in Shahroud.
►At a specialized meeting of members of the Oral History Committee and the Compilation and Research Committee of the Preservation and Dissemination of the Values of the Sacred Defense and Resistance in Amol, projects related to book publication and the initiation of recording the biographies of 70-percent-disabled veterans of the city were reviewed.
Number of Visits: 224
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