He is currently conducting research on a project that examines imperialism and globalization from the vantage point of the Persian Gulf political economic system. Keshavarzian’s field of research and teaching focuses on comparative politics of the Middle East with an emphasis on issues related to political economy, transnationalism, and contentious politics in authoritarian contexts. Keshavarzian earned his PhD from the Department of Politics at Princeton University. Keshavarzian is the author of Bazaar and State in Iran: the Politics of the Tehran Marketplace (2007) and several articles in edited volumes and journals, including Politics and Society, International Journal of Middle East Studies, Geopolitics, and Middle East Report.