Theocratic republic based on Islamic law
POPULARITY
Categories
David Harsanyi, senior writer at The Washington Examiner and co-host of the You’re Wrong podcast with Mollie Hemingway, on his recent pieces at the Examiner, “Your Jeffery Epstein conspiracy theory is idiotic” and “Smash the Iranian terrorist state,” the recently-announced layoffs at The Washington Post, and the ongoing negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials on nuclear enrichment in the Islamic Republic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Every once and a while, The Remnant rewards a faithful listener by bringing him on the show. Well, assuming he's a national security expert. One such lucky listener is Eli Lake, who joins Jonah Goldberg to talk about the Shah of Iran, the Ayatollah, the current state of play in Islamic Republic, President Trump, and B.S. levels in our politics. Shownotes:—Eli's piece: “Reza Pahlavi: Iran's Reluctant Prince”—Eli's Breaking History podcast—Remnant with Ken Pollack—Iranian Commander's Daughter SECRETLY Calls Radio: 'My Father Is A Monster!'—Part 1 of The Rest Is History podcast on Iran—Kermit Roosevelt's memoir—Ross Douthat's article on conservatism—Jonah's response to Ross' article The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including access to all of Jonah's G-File newsletters—click here. If you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member by clicking here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Grab a copy of Afshin's book here: https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2694-a-history-of-iran-us-relations?fbclid=IwY2xjawPrPTBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFMd2xWQW9yUjFWSGJobG1pc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHjuMCjpXHxGRe9kSApunzqYiu4OT0MgbQqx8RSEf4DqCM-fnvaClAiDkgytp_aem_gRjSdtVxuRLcd5lIJR8MOA&srsltid=AfmBOorTkKLJ6K1SnEL-NwoLt89y1zleykmeKsOVGNpDCjK2KyGdyAdi Afshin Matin-Asgari offers fresh takes on familiar topics: America's rise as a Middle East hegemon during the Cold War; the special relationship between Washington and the shah; the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis; the Iran-Iraq war; the Islamic Republic's peculiar anti-imperialism; the decades of onerous American sanctions; Israel's intervention in Iran-US relations; the ascendance of Trump; and the 2025 attempt by the United States and Israel to bring regime change to Tehran. A labyrinthine tale of American imperial misadventures, Axis of Empire incorporates and challenges scholarly narratives while offering a sophisticated yet highly readable account of Iran-US history. Check out our new bi-weekly series, "The Crisis Papers" here: https://www.patreon.com/bitterlakepresents/shop Thank you guys again for taking the time to check this out. We appreciate each and everyone of you. If you have the means, and you feel so inclined, BECOME A PATRON! We're creating patron only programing, you'll get bonus content from many of the episodes, and you get MERCH! Become a patron now https://www.patreon.com/join/BitterLakePresents? Please also like, subscribe, and follow us on these platforms as well, (specially YouTube!) THANKS Y'ALL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9WtLyoP9QU8sxuIfxk3eg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thisisrevolutionpodcast/ Twitter: @TIRShowOakland Instagram: @thisisrevolutionoakland Substack: https://jmylesoftir.substack.com/.../the-money-will-roll... Read Jason Myles in Current Affairs here: https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/donald-trump-is-a-pro-wrestling-villain Read Jason Myles in Damage Magazine https://damagemag.com/2023/11/07/the-man-who-sold-the-world/
Michael speaks with Gregory Brew, Senior Analyst at the Eurasia Group and country analyst for Iran, about the high-stakes decision facing the Islamic Republic: "strikes or talks." Greg analyzes the upcoming diplomatic summit in Istanbul, where the U.S. is pushing for "maximalist concessions" regarding Iran's nuclear program, ballistic missile stockpile, and regional proxy networks like Hamas and Hezbollah. Greg also discusses the strategic leverage of the recent U.S. naval buildup in the Middle East and whether these talks are a deliberate pretext for military action against Tehran. Greg also breaks down Iran's internal "credibility crisis" and the future of regional stability.
In recent weeks, protestors have swarmed the streets in Iran in defiance of the regime, and it feels as if the country is on the precipice of a transformative change. Yet these scenes feel familiar. In the 1970s, mass protests led to a religious revolution which replaced a monarchy led by the Shah with the Islamic Republic of Iran. What can this history tell us about today? To discuss the parallels between 1979 and 2026, William and Anita are joined by two leading experts on Iran: Scott Anderson, author of King of Kings, and Ramita Navai, documentary-maker and author of City of Lies. Disclaimer: We recorded these episodes on January 17th 2026. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has confirmed that 5,459 protestors in Iran have died, and the organisation is investigating 17,031 more. Two senior officials of Iran's Ministry of Health have reported that as many as 30,000 people have been killed. In such a volatile situation, predictions are difficult to make and these figures are ever changing. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Editor: Bruno Di Castri Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Seth discusses the importance of marriage and the family unit after a recent visit to Focus on the Family’s newly-opened Marriage Center in Cave Creek. Salem Phoenix General Manager Mark Durkin pops-in the studio to talk with Seth about his recent experience watching the newly released documentary film about the First Lady, Melania. We're joined by John Dombroski, founder and president of Grand Canyon Planning Associates. A listener call-in giving praise for the show. Seth discusses the one good moment of last night’s Grammy Awards show. The White House has announced they are seeking a nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe [CB] are trying to fight back, Trump continues to counter them by using tariffs. They will never learn. Blue states are feeling the economic pain, they are following the globalist plan and they will fail. Trump is changing the economic calculations. Inflation is below 1%. Trump nominates Kevin Warsh to restructure the Fed. The [DS] is panicking. They tried to trap Trump in the Epstein files, that did not work, the other part of the plan is to muddy the waters but this also failed. Trump is now preparing for mass round ups across the country. DHS is purchasing warehouses to hold the illegals. Trump is leading the [DS] down the path of no return. The insurrection is coming and Trump is preparing the counterinsurgency. Economy through this very same certification process. If, for any reason, this situation is not immediately corrected, I am going to charge Canada a 50% Tariff on any and all Aircraft sold into the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/2016988052317409756?s=20 like he did in my First Term. I am confident that Brett has the expertise to QUICKLY fix the long history of issues at the BLS on behalf of the American People. Brett Matsumoto is a Brilliant, Reputable, and Trusted Economist who will restore GREATNESS to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Congratulations Brett! https://twitter.com/USTradeRep/status/2017747044350280104?s=20 extensive research in the field of Economics and Finance. Kevin issued an Independent Report to the Bank of England proposing reforms in the conduct of Monetary Policy in the United Kingdom. Parliament adopted the Report’s recommendations. Kevin Warsh became the youngest Fed Governor, ever, at 35, and served as a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System from 2006 until 2011, as the Federal Reserve’s Representative to the Group of Twenty (G-20), and as the Board’s Emissary to the Emerging and Advanced Economies in Asia. In addition, he was Administrative Governor, managing and overseeing the Board’s operations, personnel, and financial performance. Prior to his appointment to the Board, from 2002 until 2006, Kevin served as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and Executive Secretary of the White House National Economic Council. Previously, Kevin was a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Department at Morgan Stanley & Co., in New York, serving as Vice President and Executive Director. I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best. On top of everything else, he is “central casting,” and he will never let you down. Congratulations Kevin! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP Warsh has compared Bitcoin favorably to gold as a “sustainable store of value,” indicating a positive view of gold’s role in the financial system. However, his nomination led to sharp declines in gold and silver prices (e.g., silver fell up to 26% in one day), as markets interpreted him as an inflation hawk who might pursue tighter monetary policy, reducing the appeal of precious metals as inflation hedges. This reaction stemmed from fears of less dovish Fed actions, which had previously driven gold’s rally amid uncertainty over Fed independence. Warsh’s broader hawkish stance on inflation aligns with “hard money” principles that could indirectly support gold, but his emphasis on shrinking the Fed’s balance sheet and normalizing policy suggests he prioritizes institutional reform over promoting gold as a standard. Is Kevin Warsh Pro-Sound Money?Yes, Warsh is a strong advocate for sound money principles, emphasizing disciplined, anti-inflationary monetary policy. He views inflation as a “monetary phenomenon” and “a choice” driven by excessive government printing and spending. As a former Fed Governor, he was often the most hawkish voice, opposing aggressive rate cuts during crises due to inflation risks. He criticizes the Fed’s “mission creep,” oversized balance sheet, and reliance on quantitative easing (QE), arguing these enable fiscal irresponsibility and distort markets. Warsh calls for “regime change” at the Fed, shifting away from Keynesian models toward rules-based policy that incorporates money supply considerations and reduces interventionism. He stresses credibility, clear rules, and accountability to maintain sound money. In a 2025 Hoover Institution paper, he advocated scrutinizing monetary policy under a framework that could include constitutional measures for prosperity and idea diffusion. Warsh has been vocal against Powell’s leadership, echoing Trump’s frustrations with high interest rates and calling for “regime change” at the Fed. He has moderated his hawkish stance to support lower rates, arguing AI-driven productivity allows growth without inflation. Credibility and Market Reassurance: Warsh is seen as a “traditional” pick with Fed experience, reassuring investors amid fears of a loyalist appointment that could undermine independence. Trump highlighted Warsh’s ability to deliver lower rates and growth, though some economists note Warsh’s independence could lead to tensions if he prioritizes data over demands. Analysts suggest the pick balances Trump’s desire for cuts with a credible figure. Political/Rights https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2017774819823984722?s=20 Trump Administration Begins Suing Illegal Migrants Who Have Not Self-Deported The Trump administration has begun suing individual illegal migrants for ignoring removal orders and refusing to self-deport back to their home countries, a report says. The administration has filed suit against an illegal migrant living in Virginia, and is seeking $941,114 plus interest, alleging that Marta Alicia Ramirez Veliz has remained in the country despite being told her request for admittance was rejected by a Justice Department appeals panel in 2022, Politico reported. The filing notes that Veliz has refused to pay a $998 per-day fine for the 943 days since she was told to return to her home country, and reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement sent her an official notice of her total fine in April. The lawsuit describes Veliz as “an individual and noncitizen residing in Chesterfield County, Virginia,” and does not identify her nationality. source: breitbart.com https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2017404446230323358?s=20 BREAKING: Disturbing photos in the Epstein files appear to show Prince Andrew on all fours over a woman lying on the ground. https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2017792445979791448?s=20 for everyone, or is connected through some opaque web of professional and personal ties. A supposedly random figure from the squalor of Uganda rises all the way to mayor of New York, only for it to later emerge that his mother is deeply embedded in elite circles. The same pattern shows up again and again. James Comey's daughter just happened to be a lead federal prosecutor on the Epstein case. The judge who presided over the trial of Hillary Clinton's lawyer, the one who helped seed the Russiagate hoax, is married to Lisa Page's lawyer. Page, of course, was involved with Peter Strzok, who is one of the central figures in that same hoax. And to complete the circle, Merrick Garland officiated their wedding. None of this requires conspiracy theories. It requires only acknowledging how small, closed, and self-protecting these elite worlds are. Fix elite incestuousness, and a lot of other problems will disappear on their own. https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2017734119334232544?s=20 https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2017474860700877105?s=20 https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2017762585878069630?s=20 https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2017694490614763591?s=20 written from Nikolic's perspective. At the time, Nikolic was Gates's top scientific investment advisor. The emails suggest Gates was firing Nikolic in response to marital problems with Melinda. In June 2013, Nikolic emailed Gates and asked if he wanted to go to the “legendary Crazy Horse in Paris” an erotic show, while they were in France. Gates declined, saying he would be too tired and didn't want to take the risk, adding that he might have done it when he was younger. On July 1, 2013, Gates emailed Nikolic: “We should meet on Wednesday to discuss your job. There is going to have to be a transition. I feel very bad about it but I don’t see a way around it.” Nikolic shared these emails with Epstein. Epstein later commented on the Paris erotic show email, writing: “This is pretty bad and might have been the cause of her bad mail in paris.”—apparently referring to Melinda. Nikolic appeared unhappy about being fired while potentially being used as a scapegoat, and he sought greater financial compensation as he prepared to leave and launch his own investment fund. In these emails, Epstein—writing as Nikolic—references alleged knowledge of Gates's extramarital affairs, STDs allegedly contracted from Russian women, and drug use as justification for why Nikolic deserved more money. Taken together, it appears Jeffrey Epstein was drafting or shaping a message for Boris Nikolic that effectively functioned as blackmail, pressuring Bill Gates for financial compensation. It remains unclear whether Nikolic ultimately sent these messages to Gates. However, later emails suggest Gates helped Nikolic launch his next investment fund and maintained a working relationship with him afterward. Epstein later listed Nikolic as a backup executor of his will, indicating the two were close confidants. https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2017769194159210784?s=20 Billionaire Reid Hoffman, Who Bankrolled the E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit Against Trump, Is Featured Extensively in the New Epstein Files, Visiting Zorro Ranch and Pedophile Island Hoffman went to the Island. A man who used his fortune to bankroll a lawsuit against President Donald J. Trump is now featured extensively in the new DOJ-released Jeffrey Epstein documents. The three and a half million documents from the latest – and apparently last – have been released by the DOJ following the approval of the House Resolution 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Documents from this massive release show the close ties between LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and the late pedophile. The pair ‘discusses visits to Epstein's infamous private island, his New Mexico ranch, and his New York apartment'. The New York Post reported: “'Reid will spend the night at 71st', according to one email from Hoffman's team included in the latest Justice Department dump of Epstein files, in reference to his Upper East Side townhouse.” A 2014 memo states that Epstein hosted will have (venture capitalist) Joi Ito and Reid Hoffman on the infamous Zorro Ranch for a weekend. “An email Epstein penned to his assistant Saida Sapieva under the heading ‘Trip to the Island' states: ‘Reid will take a Virgin America Flight from SFO to Fort Lauderdale, departing at 8:20 am, landing at 4:40 pm'. In 2023, Hoffman visited to Epstein's former Caribbean private island, Little St. James, also known as ‘pedophile island', The Post previously reported.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2017106848311366064?s=20 https://twitter.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/2017789344103145647?s=20 https://twitter.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/2017772724093849926?s=20 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2017930408650772495?s=20 https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/2017329765863039432?s=20 Israel had Trump by the balls so much that… Epstein was arrested? Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested? Jean Luc Brunel was arrested? Les Wexner stepped down? NXIVM sex cult ended? And now we're getting those files? These people don't think very hard https://twitter.com/JD_Cashless/status/2017349780922408973?s=20 https://twitter.com/TaraBunner2/status/2017619821634977889?s=20 https://twitter.com/Jordan_Sather_/status/2017399510809645263?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2017789280693735748?s=20 politically. “I didn't see it myself but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it's the opposite of what people were hoping – you know, the radical left. Wolff, who's a 3rd rate writer, was conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to hurt me politically or otherwise…” Don't fall for all the clickbait doomers pushing the anti-Trump narratives. It's all bullshit. Lots of people not looking good though after today's release. Will be interesting to see how this plays out. To muddy the waters is an idiom that means to make a situation, issue, or discussion more confusing, unclear, or complicated—often deliberately. For example: “The politician’s vague statements only muddied the waters during the debate.” It originates from the idea of stirring up mud in water, making it murky and hard to see through. DOGE Geopolitical War/Peace Iran Hits Back At EU: Designates European Armies As ‘Terrorist Entities’ Iran is saying two can play at the West’s game: on Friday the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council blasted the EU’s decision to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a “terrorist organization,” warning that Europe’s own militaries would now be viewed through the same lens. “The European Union certainly knows that… the armies of countries that have participated in the European Union’s recent resolution against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are considered terrorist entities,” Ali Larijani wrote in a post on X. He added bluntly: “Therefore, the consequences of that shall be borne by the European countries that undertook such an action.” However, there’s probably nothing in the way of European military assets for the Islamic Republic to sanction, so this ‘action’ by Tehran will remain largely symbolic. Iran does have assets held in various places of Europe though. EU foreign ministers agreed on Thursday to formally classify the IRGC as a “terrorist organization” and urged member states to implement the designation without delay – after a few longtime holdouts flipped. source: zerohedge.com [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/rhodeislander/status/2017361344018739231?s=20 https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2017331445195211254?s=20 at Place of Worship COUNT 2: 18 U.S.C. § 248(a) (b), § §2(a) – FACE Act: Injure, Intimidate, and Interfere with Exercise of Right of Religious Freedom at a Place of Worship. Full indictment in replies. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2017755569097003394?s=20 https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2017426372860190991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2017426372860190991%7Ctwgr%5Efafd5c6b893c0c4815868b0fd8490482712f780e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Ft%2Fassets%2Fhtml%2Ftweet-5.html2017426372860190991 Maxine Waters Incites Violent Leftist Rioters in Los Angeles – Threatens ICE, “We're Going to Fight You Every Inch of the Way” (VIDEOS) Far-left Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) was in Los Angeles on Friday, inciting her radical left followers to riot against law enforcement before several were arrested. Rioters were seen hurling objects at shielded federal agents who pushed back with pepper balls and nonlethal munitions. Via ABC 7: Anti-ICE Rioters Clash with Federal Agents and Local Police Outside Los Angeles ICE Facility Eventually, the rioters moved a dumpster toward the entrance of the ICE detention facility and set it ablaze. Over 100 Los Angeles Police officers reportedly responded in riot gear to quell the violence. Multiple videos circulating on social media show Maxine Waters at the front lines of the riot as leftists were told to disperse for surrounding the federal building, trespassing on federal property, and later assaulting federal officers. After pepper spray was deployed, Waters returned to the front of the riot with a mask and continued leading the insurrection. Waters was seen pulling up to the scene early in the day in a black SUV before stepping out to rally her troops, flailing her arms and leading chants of “ICE Out of LA.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/DOGEai_tx/status/2017736355665641700?s=20 Martinez's gang alliance pitch isn't just reckless; it's a calculated distraction from ICE's indiscriminate sweeps that tear families apart over paperwork. Federal law requires deportation for specific crimes, yet bureaucrats weaponize broad mandates to meet quotas. The solution? Enforce existing laws precisely, stop manufacturing crises, and end the performative politics that put both officers and communities at risk. President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2017769322723082564?s=20 constitutional dike, It is so ORDERED” – “Feb. 31” doesn’t exist – LinkedIn shows he liked a TDS post about ICE today – Includes a photo of the kid in the order – Unprofessionally antagonistic language WTF?! This is a JUDGE?! @ElonMusk and @NayibBukele were right all along. We can’t have a saved republic until we mass impeach the courts. H/t @BillMelugin_ https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2017574838143959310?s=20 https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2017636699157811696?s=20 one of the safest cities in America – Likewise, numerous other once very dangerous cities! Republicans, don't let these Crooked Democrats, who are stealing Billions of Dollars from Minnesota, and other Cities and States from all over the Country, push you around. They are using this aggressive protest SCAM to obfuscate, camouflage, and hide their CRIMINAL ACTS of theft and insurrection. They should all be in jail. I was elected on Strong Borders, and Law and Order, among many other things. Thank you to Secretary Kristi Noem. Remember, ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence. In the meantime, by copy of this Statement, I am informing Local Governments, as I did in Los Angeles when they were rioting at the end of the Biden Term, that you must protect your own State and Local Property. In addition, it is your obligation to also protect our Federal Property, Buildings, Parks, and everything else. We are there to protect Federal Property, only as a back up, in that it is Local and State Responsibility to do so. Last night in Eugene, Oregon, these criminals broke into a Federal Building, and did great damage, also scaring and harassing the hardworking employees. Local Police did nothing in order to stop it. We will not let that happen anymore! If Local Governments are unable to handle the Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Anarchists, we will immediately go to the location where such help is requested, and take care of the situation very easily and methodically, just as we did the Los Angeles Riots one year ago, where the Police Chief said that, “We couldn't have done it without the help of the Federal Government.” Therefore, to all complaining Local Governments, Governors, and Mayors, let us know when you are ready, and we will be there — But, before we do so, you must use the word, “PLEASE.” Remember that I stated, in the strongest of language, to BEWARE — ICE, Border Patrol or, if necessary, our Military, will be extremely powerful and tough in the protection of our Federal Property. We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form. I was elected on a Policy of Border Control (which has now been perfected!), National Security, and LAW AND ORDER — That's what America wants, and that's what America is getting! Thank you for your attention to this matter. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP he will use DHS/ICE and, if necessary, the US MIL to protect federal property. It sounds like Trump knows something is coming. It sounds like the Dems want DHS/ICE to get caught up in policing these riots, hoping more of their deranged followers take it too far and get shot. Trump is instead going to hold and force local Democrat politicians to police their own riots, or agree to work with him. And if the Dems choose to not police these riots, they will force Trump to use the US MIL to suppress the chaos. https://twitter.com/unseen1_unseen/status/2017334056292143173?s=20 https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/2017585812599087241?s=20 EXCLUSIVE: Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge Allegedly Removed For Slow-Walking Election Fraud Investigation Reports are emerging on social media that Paul Brown, the FBI Special Agent in Charge at the Atlanta Field Office, was “forced out of that job earlier this month,” according to MSNOW's Ken Dilanian. According to MSNOW, Brown “was forced out this month after questioning the Justice Department's renewed push to probe Fulton County's role in the 2020 election” after “expressing concern” about “unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud” in Fulton County. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2017632517596045581?s=20 of evidence that the judge authorized us to collect. And what we're gonna do next is go through the voluminous amounts of information collected and continue our investigation. At this point there's not much more I can say publicly because we have to go through a lot more material. But it was predicated on a finding of probable cause by a judge in Georgia.” Time for people to go to jail! We all watched it stolen in real time, and we're all still pissed off about it! https://twitter.com/TheStormRedux/status/2017201516768026738?s=20 the election safe, and she's done a very good job. And as you know, they got into the votes. You've got a signed judges order in Georgia and you're gonna see some interesting things happening.” We've waited a long time for this. Let's get it. https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/2017668286196932654?s=20 https://twitter.com/Rasmussen_Poll/status/2017631484908024035?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");
Listen to the article with analysis from the author: The US is positioning its most advanced missile interceptors in the Middle East to prepare for a major war with Iran. According to the Wall Street Journal, the US is moving THAAD and Patriot interceptors into the Middle East. The air defenses will be sent to bases where US troops are stationed in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The White House views the advanced missile defense systems as necessary if President Donald Trump wants to launch a large-scale attack on Iran. Trump has ordered a significant military buildup in the Middle East, including an aircraft carrier strike group and fighter jets. Many of the warships carry additional interceptors, and fighter jets can shoot down Iranian drones. The deployments have put thousands of additional American troops within range of Iranian weapons. There are over 5,000 sailors on the aircraft carrier, 300-350 soldiers on each of the eight destroyers in the region, and 100 troops for each THAAD system. Trump is reportedly considering a range of options for creating regime change in Iran, including an oil blockade and strikes targeting high-level officials in Tehran. According to the WSJ, the President wants a “decisive attack” on Iran. Drop Stie News reports speaking with US officials who said the White House informed its Arab allies that a war with Iran could begin at any time. Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said on Sunday he does not believe a US attack is imminent, but will happen within two months. Zamir's remarks followed a meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine in the Pentagon on Friday. Trump renewed the threat to attack Iran on Sunday. He told reporters, “We have the biggest and strongest ships there, very close. They'll be ready within days. I hope we make a deal. If we don't make a deal, we'll find out.” Trump has threatened to attack Iran over its nuclear and missile programs. Additional he said he may strike Iran for cracking down on demonstrators. However, a large-scale attack on the Islamic Republic will likely lead to Iran launching retaliatory strikes on US bases in the region and Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Trump against attacking Iran earlier this month because Israel was unprepared for the fallout. Former CIA officer and torture program whistleblower John Kiriakou said he spoke with multiple, well-paced, Arab princes who explained that Israel was urging Trump to exercise caution in dealing with Iran as Tel Aviv was still in the process of replenishing its stockpile of missile interceptors. Israel used a significant portion of its Iron Dome and Arrow interceptors during its war with Iran in June. Tel Aviv relied heavily on American interceptors to supplement its missile defenses.
One month into the uprising in Iran, the regime is still killing.With the internet shut down, foreign militias unleashed on civilians, and reports of more than 30,000 dead, Tehran is waging a war on its own people.FDD's Janatan Sayeh joins Bill to share what he's hearing directly from inside Iran, why this is no longer “just protests,” and what it will take to finally break the Islamic Republic's grip on power.
Amassing military forces and bolstered by Iran's perceived vulnerability, President Donald Trump says “time is running out.” Replying with threats of its own, the Islamic Republic is trying to restore its deterrence and survive what it realizes is an existential challenge. Also: today's stories, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's appearance at the Monitor Breakfast; how members of the public and lawmakers are investigating use of force by local and federal law enforcement in the U.S.; and whether President Donald Trump's energy policy cedes the future of energy production to China Join the Monitor's Audrey Thibert for today's news.
Revolutionary Iran https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Iran-audiobook/dp/B07TKCGR4S DW History and Culture The Iranian Revolution 1979 explained: From the Pahlavis to mass protests and the Islamic Republic https://youtu.be/1uFGWkd_65k?si=nIvge7HLo_s0cyVz https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Register for the Estuary/Cleanup Weekend https://lscrc.elvanto.net/form/94f5e542-facc-4764-9883-442f982df447 Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/WA2RmWx2 Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333 If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/ All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos. https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give
Jason gives you a quick overview of Context for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Part 2.Read the essay here: https://historywiththeszilagyis.org/hwts282Find us on X:The Network: @BQNPodcasts The Show: @HistorySzilagyi. Chrissie: @TheGoddessLivia. Jason: @JasonDarkElf.Send topic suggestions via Twitter or on our Facebook page History with the Szilagyis.History with the Szilagyis is supported by our patrons: PatiSusan Capuzzi-De ClerckLaura DullKris HillBetty LarsenVince LockeJoin these wonderful supporters by visiting patreon.com/historywiththeszilagyis. The BQN Podcast Collective is brought to you by our listeners. Special thanks to these patrons on Patreon whose generous contributions help to produce this podcast and the many others on our network! BQN Podcasts are made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like you. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our Patreon patrons, whose support has been instrumental in producing the network!Chad RidingMei MMischiefCaitG. Haukur GuðmundssonJoe SaporitoMartin MarigomenJaxDaniel EvansLars Di ScenzaSamuel JohnsonJenediahRyan DamonWilliam J. JacksonJonathan SnowJerry AntimanoBe Tellarite, Not TellaWrongShalimar LuisStevenSusan L. DeClerckDavidJason AndersonMatt HarkerDavid WillettCarl WondersVera BTim CooperPeter HongTom Van ScotterJim McMahonJustin OserThad HaitChristina De Clerck-SzilagyiJoe MignoneYou can join this illustrious list by becoming a patron here: https://www.patreon.com/BQN
It's been a month since one of Iran's deadliest periods of anti-government unrest in the history of the Islamic Republic. While mass protests have subsided amid a crackdown by security forces, a US-based human rights group has confirmed the deaths of more than 6,000 people, warning the total could stand at more than 20,000. Iran's official death toll is just over 3,000. There are also grave concerns for the tens of thousands who have been arrested. This story has been produced in collaboration with SBS Persian. - Mehek ji bûyerên herî kujer ên serhildanên dijî hukûmeta Îranê di dîroka Komara Îslamî de derbas bû. Digel ku xwepêşandanên girseyî di bin zextên hêzên ewlehiyê de kêm bûne, rêxistineke mafên mirovan a li Amerîkayê mirina zêdetirî 6,000 kesan piştrast kir, û hişyarî da ku dibe hejmara giştî ji 20,000î zêdetir be. Li gor hukumeta Iranê hejmara fermî ya miriyan hema hema 3000 derbas kiriye. Herweha ji bo bi dehan hezar kesên ku hatine girtin xemên mezin hene.
Are you feeling paralyzed by the firehose of terrible news?We get it. We feel that way, too. So we did what Mr. Rogers always told us to do when we're feeling scared: look for the helpers.On this episode, hear how people just like you are channeling their feelings of helplessness into action, doing small things in the face of big problems.As a school bus driver in Minneapolis, Jodi has watched her bus empty out as four-year-olds of colour are too scared to come to school. Her neighbours won't leave their house to go to the laundromat. So now Jodi, a Canadian with only a green card, has gas masks by her front door so she can take to the streets in protest against ICE actions in her city. A group of Iranian-Canadians in Calgary are working around-the-clock to help people send messages to loved ones in Iran, during the country's ongoing communications blackout and deadly protests. Their lifeline? Satellite TV. Armin Zarringhalam and Sepidar Valian explain how it's possible, and what it's like trying to protest the Islamic Republic in Iran from afar.How do you laugh through a crisis? When Sudanese-Canadian comedian Faris Hytiaa was working on what would become his Juno-nominated album, Homesick, he was more afraid than he's ever been. Every member of his family was in Sudan as the war broke out in 2023, fighting to stay alive and make their way to Canada. Faris shares how the ongoing war in Sudan is impacting his comedy, and his identity.And last week we asked you how you're channeling your feelings of helplessness into action, and we got an earful. From attempting to organize your first benefit concert (with zero experience) to volunteering with refugees, hear what people are doing.
The protests that began in Iran last month have been suppressed with a level of state violence not seen since the 1980s, when the Islamic Republic executed thousands of leftists and other dissidents. In this episode, Adam Shatz talks to Chowra Makaremi and Amir Ahmadi Arian about the evolution of public dissent in Iran since 1979 and why the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom' movement of 2022 opened the way to more overtly revolutionary protest. They also discuss the economic collapse underpinning the most recent uprising and the ways in which the Iranian regime has refined the use of opacity and rumour to consolidate its power. Chowra Makaremi is an anthropologist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris and Amir Ahmadi Arian is a novelist and assistant professor at Binghamton University, New York. Read Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi on Iran's crises in the latest issue: https://lrb.me/iranscrisespod From the LRB Subscribe to the LRB: https://lrb.me/subslrbpod Close Readings podcast: https://lrb.me/crlrbpod LRB Audiobooks: https://lrb.me/audiobookslrbpod Bags, binders and more at the LRB Store: https://lrb.me/storelrbpod Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk
Michael speaks with Richard Goldberg, a Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and former Director for Countering Iranian WMD at the National Security Council. Rich provides a masterclass on the historical and modern context of Iranian protest movements, explaining why the most recent uprising is fundamentally different from previous ones. He breaks down the regime's playbook of violence—including internet blackouts and brute force—while examining the strategic failures of past U.S. administrations. Rich also discusses the outlook for the Islamic Republic in the coming weeks and whether the regime can survive its own internal contradictions and increasing international isolation.
Hugh Hallman, Attorney, Educator, and former Mayor of Tempe, joins Seth live in studio wearing a sweater vest, to talk about President Trump’s recent speech at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, moral equivalencies, ‘silly’ New York Times ‘news’ stories, the recent mass killings of anti-governmental protestors in Iran by the theocratic government of the Islamic Republic, and the latest arguments in nullification from the Left.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's been a month since one of Iran's deadliest periods of anti-government unrest in the history of the Islamic Republic. While mass protests have subsided amid a crackdown by security forces, a US-based human rights group has confirmed the deaths of more than 6,000 people, warning the total could stand at more than 20,000. Iran's official death toll is just over 3,000. There are also grave concerns for the tens of thousands who have been arrested.
preview for later. Guest: Jonathan Schanzer, Foundation for Defense of Democracies Summary: Schanzer analyzes Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's recent "rogue" behavior, including seeking security pacts with Turkey and opposing strikes on Iran. He argues this reflects a power play to co-opt regional influence from the UAE, a rivalry that could undermine U.S. strategy against the Islamic Republic.1960 NASSER IN DAMASCUS
Iran is a real-world stress test of freedom: the Islamic Republic is built to outlast dissent. In this special Iran Unchained episode, David talks with Sana Ebrahimi and Amin Soleimani about the regime's control stack, including unelected theocracy, street-level coercion, corruption as governance, and propaganda that reaches far beyond Iran's borders. They unpack gender apartheid, internet blackouts during uprisings, why protests keep returning, and what the West gets wrong about “intervention” and regional stability. ---
Watch the full podcast! https://chinauncensored.tv/programs/podcast-323 If protests topple the Islamic Republic of Iran, this is bad news for the CCP. And in more ways than you might think. Joining us is former Marine Intelligence Officer Grant Newsham.
The United States is steadily deploying more forces into the Middle East for a potential military strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Yet it increasingly appears that the Trump administration has made a strategic choice: to dismantle the Shiite jihadi axis led by Iran while simultaneously backing Sunni jihadi regimes and movements across the region - Syria, Turkey and Qatar - and while we can be grateful for the prospect of ending Iran's brutal Islamic regime, empowering Sunni jihadism is a dangerous gamble with long-term consequences.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/
With 2026 bringing widespread anti-government protests to Iran, and the government's brutal crackdowns leading to thousands of people killed and arrested, we're rereleasing our coverage on the current regime – and how we got here – through the lens of Mahsa Amini's murder.--On 19 May 2024, Ebrahim Raisi – “The Butcher of Tehran” and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran – died in a helicopter crash. Immediately, theories of who had killed him and why, swept the worlds' media.But while his passing inspired this episode, we're also going to look at his many thousands of victims – and in particular how his actions led to the murder of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022. It was a single death which sparked protests that challenged the mullahs of Iran like never before.--Patreon - Ad-free & Bonus EpisodesYouTube - Full-length Video EpisodesTikTok / InstagramSources and more available on redhandedpodcast.com
In this episode of The Hundred Year Pivot, Demetri and I are joined by geopolitical strategist Kamran Bokhari for a sweeping, historically grounded exploration of how Iran arrived at its present moment of instability—and where it may be heading next. Kamran traces Iran's modern political evolution from Qajar Persia through the Pahlavi monarchy, the 1953 Mosaddegh coup, and the 1979 Islamic Revolution, explaining how the regime's dual-military structure—split between the regular army and the IRGC—was forged in war and later transformed into a vehicle for political and economic dominance. From Iran's revolutionary ideology and fear of encirclement to the rise and possible unraveling of its proxy network, the conversation builds toward a sober assessment of today's protests, currency collapse, and internal decay—arguing that while the Islamic Republic may be weakening in unprecedented ways, the path forward is likely to be turbulent, uncertain, and region-shaping rather than clean or sudden. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper and Silver Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com. Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm…
Is a U.S. strike on Iran back on the table? How could it reshape the Middle East? And what role could the Middle East play in the new world order taking shape these days? Dan Senor speaks with Mark Dubowitz and Yonatan Adiri about the rising likelihood of U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic, […]
This week, Iranian historian and returning guest Navid Zarrinnal calls in to the show from Tehran via telephone amid Iran's continued internet shutdown to elaborate on his recent dispatch for BreakThrough News, "Iran's Protests Explained: A Diary from Tehran." Navid is professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, host of The Colony Archive, and working on his first monograph, "Secularisation, Mass Literacy and Education in Modern Iran." Navid gives us a timeline of events and shares his analysis, discussing key differences with previous waves of protest, the evidence and extent of foreign infiltration, the nature of the government's response, and what Iranians think about "regime change". Check out Navid's amazing work on The Colony Archive on YouTube. If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, including the new and improved "Last Week in Lebanon" column and video blog by Roqayah and Lebanese war correspondent and our new third cohost Hadi Hoteit, you can subscribe on our Patreon for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts. We can't do this show without your support!!!
On this episode of Reaganism, Rachel Hoff sits down with Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and human rights activist. The discussion delves into the ongoing protests in Iran, sparked by economic distress and the brutal enforcement of compulsory hijab laws, which have evolved into a broader revolution against the Islamic Republic. Masih shares her personal experiences and insights into the regime's oppressive tactics, the international community's response, and the critical role of women's rights in the fight for freedom. Her testimony underscores the urgency for global solidarity to support the Iranian people's quest for a secular democracy.
Is a U.S. strike on Iran back on the table? How could it reshape the Middle East? And what role could the Middle East play in the new world order taking shape these days? Dan Senor speaks with Mark Dubowitz and Yonatan Adiri about the rising likelihood of U.S. military action against the Islamic Republic, which targets are being considered, and how Iran could retaliate. They also unpack Israel's internal debates on how to respond, the Saudi UAE rift and what it means for normalization, Turkey's expanding footprint, and why India is becoming a more important regional player.In this episode...- Is a U.S. strike on Iran coming and what would actually be hit- How Iran might retaliate and the debates inside Israel over next steps- Whether military action is meant to pressure the regime or help bring it down- Why Trump paused an attack and the regional forces shaping that call- Saudi Arabia's recalculation, its rift with the UAE, and the impact on normalization- Turkey's rise and why India is becoming a quiet power broker in the regionThis episode was sponsored by Maimonides Fund: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBackFrom the episode:- Listen to Yonatan's podcast What's Your Number?- Listen to Mark's podcast The Iran BreakdownMore Ark Media:Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.Subscribe to Inside Call me BackListen to For Heaven's SakeListen to What's Your Number?Watch Call me Back on YouTubeNewsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav EyalInstagram | Ark Media | DanX | DanDan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of IsraelGet in touchCredits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo
Subscribe now to enjoy ad-free listening and bonus content. Keep the narrative flow going in 2026! This month Iran's clerical leaders and security forces spilled oceans of blood to suppress mass demonstrations after Iranians took to the streets to protest the regime's economic and political failings. Systematic violence has always been a tool utilized by the Islamic Republic to enforce obedience, but never in its history have Iran's leaders killed so many people in a short amount of time, if an estimated death toll of at least 10,000 — possibly 20,000 — is accurate. In this episode, historian Naghmeh Sohrabi examines the origins of a regime whose current government is desperately trying to hold onto power by killing thousands of its people. Recommended reading: These Are the True Things — Naghmeh Sohrabi's Substack about Iran/Middle East How much longer can Iran's Islamic Republic survive? by Ali Ansari (New Statesman) Iran's coming reckoning by Siamak Namazi (Middle East Institute) Iran's ayatollah will fall — but the road may be long and deadly by Simon Sebag Montefiore (The Times of London)
Iran has been here before. For decades the country has gone through cycles of protest and repression at the hands of the Islamic Republic. What makes this cycle different? In this episode of Throughline from NPR, we speak to two Iranian experts about their view of the past, present, and future of Iran's protest movement.Guests:Ali Alfoneh, senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington DCHolly Dagres, senior fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of the Iranist on Substack.To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.comFind out how the future of AI could impact your retirement during Zach Abraham's free “New Year Reset” live webinar January 29th 3:30pm Pacific. Register at KnowYourRiskPodcast.com.Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/ToddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here! Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubePeople should spend more time understanding what the Devil wants… Because if you understand what the Devil wants, you can do the opposite.Episode Links:Beyond Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) Psychology: Measuring and Mapping Scales of Cultural and Psychological DistanceMichelle Obama says she is mindful to try to avoid white-owned brands and others also should beLeftist agitator William Kelly says he does not regret taking over a Christian church in Minneapolis or calling worshipers, including children, Nazis, and is now calling on Pam Bondi to do something about -“Come and get me, Pam Bondi.”BREAKING: Unhinged leftist who attacked an independent journalist on a Philly bus, punching and pepper spraying @FrankJScales, has been identified as Paulina Reyes, an intern at @WHYYNews.Iranian MMA fighter Ali Heibati kicked a ring girl before a bout in Moscow. He forgot Russia was not an Islamic Republic where you humiliate women at will. Spectators dealt with him MMA-style after the match. He has been banned from all competitions.The Miami Beach police showed up to a resident's house to intimidate and harass her over her “antisemitic” post about the Jewish mayor. INSANE. This looks like a video coming out of the UK. These people need to be sued!The Democrat playbook is to arrest every single person who disagrees with them and stack the Supreme Court to make sure those people have ZERO rights. This dem consultant lays it out in plain English. Believe them when they show you who they are.
The Iranian government has exerted forceful control over its citizens since the Islamic Republic seized power nearly 50 years ago. The pop star Googoosh has firsthand experience of opposition to the regime – and its consequences. In 1980, the singer was imprisoned and forced into a basement with other women after the government deemed her music sinful. Afterwards, she spent decades living in silence and exile. In today's episode, she joins Here & Now's Peter O'Dowd for a conversation about her new memoir, Googoosh: A Sinful Voice, and her relationship with Iran, then and now.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Jian opens Episode 409 of Roqe - Iran Rises with a direct message to members of the Iranian diaspora who have chosen silence during one of the most violent chapters in the Islamic Republic's history - not out of ignorance or absence, but out of convenience. The episode then turns to a panel discussion with two guests joining from opposite sides of the world: Erfan Paydar, Iranian-American rapper and activist in Los Angeles, and Forouq Canaani, academic and political analyst based in Munich. Together, they examine the current state of the uprising inside Iran, the unprecedented scale of global solidarity rallies, the role of regime-linked lobbying and disinformation efforts, and how Iranians inside the country are navigating repression, fear, and hope in real time. Roqe - Iran Rises is recorded as events continue to move rapidly on the ground, with perspectives shared as close to real time as possible. This episode is brought to you with the support of Stellar Law
Michael speaks with former Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman about the precarious state of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the latest wave of mass protests there. Jeff analyzes the regime's use of brutality, coercion, and a total internet blackout to quiet the streets, while arguing that survival does not equal success. Jeffrey also discusses the economic catastrophe Iran faces, the strategic ambiguity surrounding the White House's next moves following new sanctions, and the outlook for regional instability.
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Jonathan Harounoff, British-Iranian journalist and author of Unveiled: Inside Iran's Woman, Life, Freedom Revolt. Jonathan takes us inside the Woman, Life, Freedom movement—how it began, why it refuses to die, and why the regime continues to answer peaceful protest with barbaric force. Drawing on years of reporting and deeply personal conversations with Iranians inside the country and across the diaspora, he shares the brutal realities of life under the regime—and the extraordinary courage of people who keep standing up anyway. We talk about hunger, fear, and economic collapse. About mothers, daughters, and young people risking everything. About why the regime blames Israel and the West—and what Iranians are actually fighting for: dignity, choice, basic freedom, and a future without constant terror. We also ask a question that feels almost unthinkable, and yet possible: What would a free Iran mean for the Middle East, and for the world? This is a sobering yet hopeful conversation about sacrifice, resilience, and the power of ordinary people to challenge unimaginable tyranny and change history. Memorable Quotes: "There's a very clear distinction between the Islamic Republic and the 92 million Iranians it governs." "This is a proud, resilient civilization with thousands of years of history—and they're not giving it up for a 47-year-old regime." "The regime will blame Israel, the U.S., even 'cloud theft'—anything except its own mismanagement." "Women were deliberately shot in the eyes to leave a permanent mark." "A free Iran wouldn't just transform the Middle East—it would transform the world." Timestamps: 00:00 – Why this moment in Iran matters 01:46 – Jonathan's book and the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising 04:08 – Iranians vs. the Islamic Republic 06:22 – Why Israel gets blamed for everything 08:36 – Is this the biggest uprising yet? 10:56 – What Iranians want after the regime 12:40 – How the regime crushes dissent 15:41 – Can the protests survive another crackdown? 17:15 – Do Iranians want Western help? 18:09 – What a free Iran could mean for the world 20:23 – The UN's silence on Iran 21:30 – Stories that changed Jonathan forever 22:36 – How to truly learn Iranian culture 24:51 – Hope for a free Iran Check out our website: https://meantforyoupod.com Reach out to us: meantforyoupod@gmail.com Follow us on IG
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureThe Danes are pushing back and they are planning to sell all US Treasuries. The EU is moving forward with the Great Reset. The US and EU are moving in opposite directions. SC hearing the Fed case, Cook committed fraud. Message is clear, globalism has failed. The [DS] is now planning to push the agenda of shutting down the midterm elections. They are pushing an insurrection to push Trump into shutting down the election. The opposite will happen, Trump is preparing to make it possible to have one day voting. The message is clear, expose the criminal syndicate and the crimes they have committed to the people of this country. Then once the people understand, arrest those involved. Finally win the midterms to have accountability. This is not just a 4 year election. Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2013609922974421502?s=20 push for Greenland. https://twitter.com/WallStreetMav/status/2013591319399092551?s=20 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2013563044270383434?s=20 Europe is going for a digital Euro which will allow people to be cut off financially in 2029 if they say anything the government doesn't like https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2013589829951615468?s=20 Supreme Court to hear Trump case on firing Federal Reserve governor Howard Lutnick: “Globalism Has Failed”… The fully engaged Trump MAGAnomic team begin their outlines to the World Economic Forum in Davos with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the top line announcement, “Globalism has failed the United States of America.” Lutnick explains the reason are for President Trump's policy. Why would the EU destroy it's own energy policy? “Why would Europe agree to be ‘net-zero' in 2030, when they don't make a battery,” he asked. Thus, the pragmatic realism of policy intersects with the hypocritical action and creates an outcome that no one can explain. “So, if they go 2030, they are intentionally deciding to be subservient to China who makes the batteries,” he continued. This makes absolutely no sense. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com Political/Rights https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/2013275291385319855?s=20 last 6 weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens including vicious murderers, rapists, child pedophiles and incredibly dangerous individuals. A HUGE victory for public safety. There is MASSIVE Fraud in Minneapolis, at least $19 billion and that's just the tip of iceberg. Our Homeland Security Investigators are on the ground in Minneapolis conducting wide scale investigations to get justice for the American people who have been robbed blind. MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/2013058985125929230?s=20 https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2013363079086567449?s=20 https://twitter.com/lukerosiak/status/2013419999000424488?s=20 Minnesota Transgender State Rep. Leigh Finke Calls on Anti-ICE Protestors to Storm More Churches Minnesota transgender State Rep. Leigh Finke called on leftists to storm more churches in protest of ICE. Far-left anti-ICE protestors stormed Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/2013337519853834307?s=20 ” Don Lemon can go to hell. But he must go to federal prison first. https://twitter.com/AAGDhillon/status/2013311806647738613?s=20 anything but a Government job. Investigate these Corrupt Politicians, and do it now! https://twitter.com/RealJessica/status/2013413159663534169?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/2013437081947640243?s=20 DOGE Geopolitical https://twitter.com/AwakenedOutlaw/status/2013431594967802038?s=20 candidates who will do precisely that. Turns out you can just do things. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2013607858760196486?s=20 https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2013614189823004938?s=20 https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/2013597058142294419?s=20 https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2013624149948723648?s=20 extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired. Denmark and its European Allies have to DO THE RIGHT THING. Thank you for your attention to this matter. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP https://twitter.com/HungaryBased/status/2013364583168098337?s=20 https://twitter.com/nettermike/status/2013455319201128884?s=20 Cold War – Eisenhower → Kennedy: nonstop negotiations for bases, radar, missiles. Post–Cold War – Clinton/Bush/Obama: expanded Arctic security & missile defense. 2019 – Trump: said publicly what presidents discussed privately for 150+ years. The U.S. didn't “suddenly” want Greenland. It's been defending it, negotiating it, and embedding there since the 1800s. Greenland = Arctic power, shipping lanes, missiles, minerals. Trump didn't invent it. He said the quiet part out loud. https://twitter.com/scrowder/status/2013340689522925582?s=20 2/3 of NATO defense costs. That imbalance, and the arrogance behind it, is why Greenland is on the table. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2013591373006676322?s=20 Reports: Iranian Regime Accused of Using Chemical Agents in Crackdown on Protesters The Iranian regime is accused of using deadly chemicals against the protesters who want the regime replaced. Growing allegations that the Islamic Republic of Iran may have used chemical agents against protesters have intensified scrutiny of the regime's most recent crackdown, described by observers as the deadliest suppression of public dissent in the country's modern history. The claims gained momentum following the circulation of footage from Sabzevar showing Iranian security forces equipped with protective gear typically associated with hazardous chemical environments, as well as testimony from protesters in Tehran describing prolonged and unusual medical symptoms after exposure to what authorities labeled “tear gas.” Video at Iran So Far Away. source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/GBNT1952/status/2013441161247998050?s=20 This is how states demonstrate commitment along a shared line of effort without firing a shot: visible logistics, presence, and implied backing that complicate an opponent's decision cycle. This is also why the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is on the way to the Middle East as we speak. From a doctrinal standpoint, this kind of move deliberately raises the escalation ladder, forcing US planners to account not just for Iranian responses, but for second and third order effects involving a near peer competitor. That reality likely explains why President Trump has avoided striking Iranian targets, because any kinetic action now risks collapsing the problem set from a regional contingency into a multi theater confrontation. In simple terms, Iran stops being a standalone target and becomes part of a larger system tied to Chinese interests, and no serious commander ignores force posture, alliance signaling, and deterrence dynamics when weighing an OPLAN. China obviously understands this, which is precisely why these moves matter: they restrict American freedom of action by design, without ever needing to engage directly. Thus the Iran problem becomes even more complex. War/Peace https://twitter.com/DougAMacgregor/status/2013468575055405338?s=20 https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2013426712839614628?s=20 Oh Dear – The Wall Street Journal Just Realized, President Trump is Making U.N. Functionally Obsolescent The Wall Street Journal just realized the purpose of President Trump inviting world leaders to a new structure of global leadership. As the outlet contemplates the mission of the “Gaza Board” they recognize the bigger intention, the nullification of the United Nations. WASHINGTON DC – President Trump has expanded the mission of his proposed Gaza Board of Peace into a global body that would take on the role mediating conflicts currently held by the United Nations and carry a $1 billion fee for a permanent seat, according to a charter sent to prospective members. “It's hard not to read this as an attempt to establish a precedent in Gaza that could be used elsewhere in terms of saying that Trump is going to be calling the global shots here, and you either fall in line or you're not part of the process,” said Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations. (read more) Figured that out all on their own, did they? Source: theconservativetreehouse.com Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2013471087640686700?s=20 BUSTED: California Ordered to Return $1+ BILLION After Dr. Oz–Led Audit Exposes Federal Healthcare Funds Spent on Illegal Immigrants The Trump administration has dropped the hammer on California and a coalition of deep-blue states after a sweeping federal audit uncovered more than $1.3 billion in misused federal healthcare funds spent on non-emergency medical care for illegal immigrants, a clear violation of federal law. A Federal auditors identified nearly $1.4 billion owed back to U.S. taxpayers, with California alone accounting for the overwhelming majority: California: ~$1.3 billion New York: ~$30.7 million Illinois: ~$29.8 million Minnesota: ~$12.7 million Oregon: ~$5.4 million Washington: ~$2.3 million Washington, D.C.: ~$2.1 million Colorado: ~$1.5 million TOTAL: ~$1.394 billion These funds were billed to the federal government for routine medical care, not emergencies, an explicit violation of Medicaid rules. WATCH: https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2013360442626973796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2013360442626973796%7Ctwgr%5E80a417827250e274cad382abb10aebc715484685%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fbusted-california-ordered-return-1-billion-after-dr%2F Source: thegatewaypudit.com https://twitter.com/FBI_Response/status/2013361891712631238?s=20 are th https://twitter.com/BehizyTweets/status/2013417355272130860?s=20 https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/2013350008733487510?s=20 brackets of 8% and 10% on people making over $600K. – A new 10% tax bracket for anyone making over $1M. – 3.8% investment tax on top of state income taxes. – Raise the hotel tax. – New personal property tax on landscaping equipment. – Ban gas powered leaf blowers. – Guarantee illegal aliens free education. – Make it illegal to approach somebody at an abortion clinic. – Extend the time absentee ballots can be received after election day to three days – Allow people to cast their votes electronically through the internet. – Expand ranked-choice voting. – Extend the deadline for ballot curing to one week after election day. – Redact the addresses of political candidates from FOIAs. – Add Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact for presidential electors. – Make it illegal to hand count ballots. – $500 sales tax on firearm suppressors . – “Assault weapons” and large capacity magazine ban. – 11% sales tax on all firearms and ammunition. – Prohibit outdoor shooting of a firearm on land less than 5 acres. – Lower the criminal penalties for robbery. – Ban the arrest of illegal aliens in courthouses. – Remove mandatory minimum sentences. – Allow localities to install speed cameras. Replace Columbus Day with “Indigenous Peoples Day.” https://twitter.com/nedryun/status/2013371388653117889?s=20 an existential threat to their party.” President Trump's Plan The Insurrection Act could be a dress rehearsal for interfering in the midterms President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a statute first enacted in 1792, allowing him to deploy the military inside the United States in response to protests in Minnesota. The largely peaceful protests intensified after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency officer shot and killed Reneé Good, a Minneapolis mother, after an encounter. “If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of ICE who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT,” Trump wrote last Thursday morning on Truth Social, adding that the move would “quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great state.” He has already alerted 1,500 troops in Alaska for possible deployment to Minnesota. If he does it, the action will certainly face legal challenges. Occasional acts of violence do not an insurrection make. But don't bet on the Supreme Court to block Trump from invoking the law. Before this court, the bottom line is that Trump usually wins. Americans have been traditionally uncomfortable with the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. Granted, the law gives the president power to deploy troops in an emergency. Trump tried it with the National Guard in Chicago but was shot down by the Supreme Court because of the statutory requirement of showing that “regular forces,” namely the military, would not be effective in executing the law. Does Trump see the deployment of the military in Minnesota as a dress rehearsal for the armed forces policing key polling places to intimidate voters and seize voting machines? A slippery slope is always dangerous, and a slippery slope from a fragile democracy to a malignant authoritarianism is a real red flag for all of us. Source: thehill.com https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2013682627941630020?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2013329534729285982?s=20 It's all one giant criminal conspiracy, imbedded within our own system. Uprooting it, while managing public perception, is not an easy or straightforward task. This is why the Insurrection Act and the NG Quick Reaction Force are so important, because the enemy we are facing is within. Foreign adversaries have infiltrated the United States, and they used the Democrat Party as a vehicle to destroy this nation from within. The US MIL must be on standby to safeguard the public, because the Dems are going to try to burn this nation to the ground in an attempt to avoid accountability for their crimes . That's what you are witnessing right now. A cold/warm civil war, that the Dems are trying to turn into a hot civil war. https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/2013410848186798440?s=20 https://twitter.com/thomasjeans/status/2013481182785077577?s=20 https://twitter.com/justicecometh/status/2013434601935376795?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheNatConvo/status/2010225316598559209?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2013577244950851725?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");
Over the past several weeks, Iran has experienced its most serious wave of protests since the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising of 2022. What began as an economic protest quickly turned political, with chants calling for an end to the Islamic Republic — and the most brutal response of repression in the history of the Islamic Republic, with killings, mass arrests, executions, and an internet blackout. UCLA historical sociologist Kevan Harris reconstructs the spark that ignited the protests — a technocratic reform perceived as an unjust tax, adding to economic and political grievances that exploded into a broader uprising. Iranian scholar and political activist Yassamine Mather examines the brutal repression that followed and the dangerous media distortions surrounding the uprising as exile groups promote monarchist fantasies and openly flirt with US and Israeli intervention. Mather says Iranian protesters overwhelmingly reject both the Islamic Republic and the shah's dictatorship — and foreign intervention threatens to crush the very movement it claims to support. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.
This week we talk about war, inflation, and currency devaluation.We also discuss tyrants, police violence, and social media threats.Recommended Book: Post-Growth Living by Kate SoperTranscriptBack in mid-June of 2025, a shooting war erupted between Iran and Israel, with Israeli military forces launching attacks against multiple Iranian military sites, alongside sites associated with its nuclear program and against individual Iranian military leaders.Iran responded to these strikes, which left a lot of infrastructural damage and several military leaders assassinated, with large waves of missiles and drones against both Israeli and allied military targets, and soon after, later the same month, both sides agreed on a ceasefire and that was that.Following that blip of a war, though, Iran's economy suffered greatly. It already wasn't doing well, in part due to the crippling sanctions enforced by the US government for years, but also because of persistent mismanagement by Iran's ruling regime, and the resultant deterioration of local infrastructure, both physical and bureaucratic.Millions of people fled Iranian urban centers during the war with Israel, and while most of them returned when the ceasefire was brokered, the pace of life and other fundaments of these cities never got back up to where they were, before, as there have been fairly consistent blackouts that have kept people from being able to function as normal, and these outages have also kept businesses from getting back on their feet. That, in turn, has resulted in closures and firings and an overall reduction in economic activity.The general hamhandedness of the government has amplified these issues, and the countless other issues of trying to exist within a country that is being so persistently targeted—both in the sense of those crushing sanctions from the US, but also in the sense of being periodically struck by Israel—has dramatically increased uncertainty throughout Iran these past several years.Even before that brief war, Iran was already on the backfoot, having suffered the loss of their local proxies, including the Assad regime in Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip—all of which have been either severely weakened by Israel in recent years, or functionally wiped out—and that in turn has more directly exposed them to meddling and attacks from their key opposition, which includes the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia.That new vulnerability has put the Iranian government on high-alert, and the compounding effects of all that infrastructural damage, mismanagement, and the need to reallocate more resources to defense has left the country suffering very high levels of inflation, a severely devalued currency, regular blackouts, mass unemployment, a water shortage, and long-time repression from a government that is in many ways more paranoid and flailing than in any time in recent memory.What I'd like to talk about today is a recent wave of protests across Iran and why the US government is apparently considering taking action to support protestors against the Iranian government.—Iran has long suffered all sorts of issues, including regular efforts by ethnic secessionists to pull it apart into pieces they periodically occupy and want to govern, themselves, and concerns from citizens that the government spends a whole lot of their time and the nation's resources enriching themselves, oppressing the citizenry, funding what seems to be a pointless nuclear program, and prioritizing their offensive efforts against Israel and their other regional enemies, often by arming and funding those aforementioned, now somewhat defunct proxy militias and militaries.On top of all that, as of October 2025, inflation in Iran had surged to 48.6% and the Iranian currency, the rial, dropped in value to 1.45 million per dollar. The government tried to artificially boost the value of the rial to 1.38 million per dollar in early January of 2026, but it dropped further, to 1.5 million per dollar a few days later, hitting a record low. This combined with that wild inflation rate, made the basic fundamentals of life, food, electricity, and so on, unaffordable, even for those who still had jobs, which was an ever-shrinking portion of the population.For context, the drop of the rial to a value of 1.38 million per dollar, the boosted value, represented a loss of about 40% of the rial's value since June of 2025, just before that war with Israel, which is a staggering loss, as that means folk's life savings lost that much in about half a year.When currency values and inflation hit that level of volatility, doing business becomes difficult. It often makes more sense to close up shop than to try to keep the doors open, because you don't know if the price you charge for your product or service will make you a profit or not: there's a chance you'll sell things at a loss, because the value of the money you receive and the cost of goods you require, both to survive and to keep your business functioning, will change before the day ends, or before the sale can be completed.Iran's economic crisis has further exploded in the past few weeks, then, because all those issues have compounded and spiraled to the point that simply selling things and buying things have become too risky for many people and entities, and that means folks are having even more trouble getting food and keeping the lights on than before; which becomes a real survival issue, on top of the regular crackdowns and abuses by the government that they've suffered in various ways for decades.In 2022, those abuses and limits on personal rights led to large protests that were catalyzed by the death of a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini, who was in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Those 2022 protests were historically large—the biggest in the country, by some estimates at least, since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.On December 28 2025, a group of shopkeepers in Iran's capital city, Tehran, went on strike, closing their shops in protest against what's been happening with Iran's economy; again, it's basically impossible to safely do business in a country with that much inflation and currency devaluation happening.Other shopkeepers followed suit, and large protests formed around these closed shops. Those protests flooded social media platforms in short order, protestors shouting slogans that indicated they were pissed off about all the economic mismanagement in the country, and then eventually that led to anti-government slogans being shouted, as well.Things remained peaceful at these protests, at first, and they expanded across the country within the next few days, shops closing and people filling the streets.By the fourth day, police had started to use live ammunition and tear gas against protestors, some of the protestors were killed, and things spiraled from there.By December 31, the government ordered a total, nationwide business shutdown, to try to get ahead of these protests, which again tended to revolve around the shutdown of businesses in protest—the government said they were making this call because of cold weather, but the writing was kind of on the wall at this point that they were scrambling to make it look like businesses were shutting down because they said so, not in protest of the government.The government also announced that they would start cracking down on protestors, hard, and on the first day of 2026, things escalated further, police using even more force against those who gathered, which of course led to more protests in more places, more angry slogans being shouted, and more protestor deaths at the hands of government forces.Protests had spread to all 31 Iranian provinces by early January of 2026, and at this point there were only 17 confirmed deaths.US President Donald Trump got involved around this time, maybe feeling confident following the successful nighttime grab of Venezuelan President Maduro; whatever the case, he warned the Iranian government not to shoot protestors, or the US government might have to get involved, coming to the protestors' rescue.Iran's government responded by saying the rioters must be put in their place, suppressing the funerals of protestors, and muffling local internet service, slowing down access speeds and increasing the number of outages by about a third. They threatened to execute hundreds of protestors by hanging, then said they wouldn't. Trump declared this to be a personal victory, though the Iranian government has used his insinuation of himself into the matter to position the fight as Iran against the US, the protestors backed by their great enemy, which has shown itself to be responsible for these protests.The government then started forcing captured protestors to make confessions on video, which only seemed to further anger the non-arrested protestors, and some protestors began to fight back, in one case setting a police officer on fire, and in other cases local militia groups defended protestors against police, leading to several deaths.Iran's government shut down more communication services in an attempt to regain control, in some cities taking down the internet completely, though some information, photos and videos of police abuses of protestors still made it out into the wider world using satellite services like Starlink, and by the 9th of January, protests reached a scale that rivaled and maybe surpassed those seen during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and protestors began to set fire to buildings associated with the Islamic Republic, the government, and directly clashing with security forces in some cases.Hundreds of people were reportedly killed per day from that point forward, and thousands were rushed to hospitals, overwhelming local doctors.Thousands of people were also violently killed by police, under cover of the now complete internet blackout, and on January 10th, it was estimated that around 2,000 protestors had been killed in the past two days, alone, while other estimates from inside and outside Iran range from 12,000 to 20,000 protestors killed by the government. The most reliable source I could find, as of last weekend, indicated that the true number of dead is something like 3,300 people, at minimum.In the past week or so, the Iranian government has apparently figured out how to jam Starlink internet signals, making it even more difficult for protestors to share what's happening in the country, and President Trump posted on his social network, Truth Social, telling Iranian citizens that they should overthrow the government and that help is on the way.The Iranian government has arrested tens of thousands of people, has tanks patrolling their towns and cities, and seems to have successfully quashed protests for the time being; no protests at all were reported across the country as of mid-January, and so many people were killed and injured that hospitals and other institutions are still overwhelmed, trying to work through their backlog; much of the country is in mourning.Government forces are reportedly going door to door to arrest people who were spotted in CCTV and social media footage participating in protests, and they've set up checkpoints to stop people, look through their phones, and arrest them if any photos or videos are found that indicate they were at protests, deleting that digital evidence in the process.This remains a fast-moving story and there's a chance something significant, like the US striking Iranian government targets, or renewed, more focused protests will arise in the coming days and weeks.Some analysts have argued that it's kind of a no-brainer for the Trump administration to hit the Iranian government while it's strained in this way, because it's a long-time enemy of the US and its allies that's currently weak, and doing so would reinforce the narrative, sparked with the capture of Maduro, that Trump's administration is anti-tyrant; which is questionable by most measures, but again, this is a narrative, not necessarily reality. And narratives are powerful, especially going into an election year.It's also possible that, because economic conditions in Iran haven't changed, that this is just the beginning of something bigger; protestors and militias taking a moment to regain their footing and consider what they might do to have more of an impact when they start back up again.Show Noteshttps://www.iranintl.com/en/202601130145https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/we-want-the-mullahs-gone-economic-crisis-sparks-biggest-protests-in-iran-since-2022https://www.nytimes.com/article/iran-protests-inflation-currency.htmlhttps://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/06/25/mapping-the-protests-in-iran-2/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/us/politics/trump-iran-strikes.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/world/middleeast/iran-protests-death-toll.htmlhttps://www.reuters.com/world/china/iranian-mp-warns-greater-unrest-urging-government-address-grievances-2026-01-13/https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-is-hunting-down-starlink-users-to-stop-protest-videos-from-going-global-d8b49602https://archive.is/20260114175227/https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/bank-collapse-iran-protests-83f6b681https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-protest-death-toll-over-12000-feared-higher-video-bodies-at-morgue/https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/did-irans-currency-collapse-rial-plummets-to-000-against-euro-while-inflation-protests-escalate-across-the-country-164403/https://archive.is/20260116034429/https://www.ft.com/content/5d848323-84a9-4512-abd2-dd09e0a786a3https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8nohttps://theconversation.com/the-use-of-military-force-in-iran-could-backfire-for-washington-273264https://archive.is/20260114182636/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/14/iran-regime-protest-trump-strike/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/world/middleeast/iran-protests-deadly-crackdown.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/world/middleeast/iran-ayatollah-khamenei.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%932026_Iranian_protestshttps://www.en-hrana.org/day-thirteen-of-the-protests-nighttime-demonstrations-continue-amid-internet-shutdown/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Iran_internal_crisishttps://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-trump-khamenei-fc11b1082fb75fca02205f668c822751 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
William - born and raised in the Islamic Republic of Iran — reveals the shocking truth about what's really happening inside Iran right now.After escaping the Iranian regime and converting from Islam to Judaism, William opens up about the brutal government crackdowns, the nationwide internet shutdown, and why over 10,000 Iranians have been killed while the world stays silent.He shares his personal story of faith, identity, and courage, and exposes how the regime is silencing voices with violence, censorship, and fear. From Elon Musk's Starlink efforts to global hypocrisy about human rights, this is a conversation that will change how you see freedom forever.MORE:William's full story: https://youtu.be/NyfYnMp_8rAWilliam's full take on Iran: https://youtu.be/IhxOtMqpdKEWilliam's X account: https://x.com/WilliamMehrvarz✬ SPONSORS OF THE EPISODE ✬► PZ DEALS: Never Pay Full Price AgainAn epic app that tracks deals for you.Download here→ https://app.pz.deals/install/iftn► Wheels To Lease: #1 Car CompanyFor over 35 years, Wheels To Lease has offered stress-free car buying with upfront pricing, no hidden fees, and door-to-door delivery.Call today!→ CALL/TEXT: 718-871-8715→ EMAIL: inspire@wheelstolease.com→ WEB: https://bit.ly/41lnzYU→ WHATSAPP: https://wa.link/0w46ceInspiration is Everywhere. #iftnLCHAIM.
Seth remembers Martin Luther King, Jr. and his ideas. Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters stormed a church service at Cities Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota yesterday. Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was among those who infiltrated the church. A clip of Iranian Journalist Masih Alinejad’s testimony before the United Nations Security Council, directed at the delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran on the mass killings that have taken place there in response to the ongoing civilian anti-government protests. Happy Birthday Dolly Parton!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Iran protests are shaking the foundations of a brutal regime, but the real question is why this moment matters for the United States. In this episode of The P.A.S. Report, Professor Giordano breaks through media silence to explain the stakes, the risks, and the policy choices that could reshape the global balance of power. As unrest spreads across Iran, exaggerated claims of imminent collapse collide with a far harsher reality. This episode examines what is actually happening on the ground, why Americans have already paid a heavy price for the Islamic Republic, and how Iran fits into the broader anti-American axis involving Russia, China, and Venezuela. The focus is not on slogans or wishful thinking, but on clear-eyed strategy, historical patterns, and realistic policy options. What You'll Learn: Why Iran protests are not just a domestic issue but a direct U.S. national interest How the Iranian regime has killed Americans through proxy warfare and why that history matters now What weakens authoritarian regimes and why elite defections matter more than street protests How Iran connects Russia, China, and a shifting Middle East into an anti-American axis Why the real policy choice is not war or indifference, and what a third path could look like
At least 2,600 protesters have been killed in Iran's brutal crackdown on anti-government protests, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency. Those protests now appear to have abated after nearly two weeks, but many outside Iran are still struggling to get information about loved ones because of the Islamic Republic's communication blackout. Meanwhile, as President Trump gives mixed signals on intervention, the U.S. imposed additional sanctions on Thursday. We'll hear from Iranians in California about how they're processing the latest news, and from you: How do you want the U.S. to respond? Guests: Robin Wright, contributing writer, The New Yorker - her most recent piece for the magazine is "Iran's Regime Is Unsustainable"; Wright is also the author of "Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East" among other books Hoda Katebi, labor attorney, Iranian-American writer and community organizer Sahar Razavi, associate professor, Department of Political Science; director, Iranian and Middle Eastern Studies Center, California State University, Sacramento Shani Moslehi, founder and chief executive officer, Orange County Iranian American Chamber of Commerce (OCIACC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Newt talks with Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director of the U.S. office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US), and the author of “The Iran Threat.” They discuss the ongoing protests in Iran, which began in late December due to severe economic hardships caused by runaway inflation. The protests have evolved from demands for economic relief to calls for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, a theocratic dictatorship currently led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Iranian government has responded with severe crackdowns, including internet shutdowns and lethal force, resulting in over 3,000 deaths and the arrest of at least 50,000 people. The protests have spread across all 31 provinces, with significant participation from various societal sectors, including small business owners who previously supported the regime. The organized opposition, particularly the MEK and its resistance units, play a crucial role in sustaining the protests despite government repression. Their discussion also touches on the historical context of the regime's reliance on repression and terrorism to maintain power, as well as the potential for international support to influence the outcome. Jafarzadeh concludes with a call for the international community to recognize and support the Iranian people's right to resist the regime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Iran is erupting in protests—and the regime is cracking down with extraordinary violence. Guest Host Hagar Chemali sits down with Jay Solomon (investigative reporter at The Free Press) to unpack why protests are surging nationwide, what the regime's economic rot reveals about its fragility, and what (if anything) the U.S. and Israel might do next. They dig into a bank-collapse story that helped ignite the unrest, the regime's deteriorating proxy network after October 7, and the strategic debate inside Washington over strikes, cyber operations, and financial pressure. Then they turn to the American political fringes—left and right—and why some activists echo Islamic Republic propaganda about the protests being “astroturfed.” Finally, in Politicology+, they unpack how Qatar, a tiny Gulf nation with just 350,000 citizens, has built one of the most wide-reaching influence networks in the world. POLITICOLOGY+ Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don't miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus. CONTRIBUTE TO POLITICOLOGY politicology.com/donate SPONSORS & PROMO CODES https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8 Send your questions and ideas to podcast@politicology.com or leave a voicemail at (703) 239-3068 Follow this week's panel on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/HagarChemali https://x.com/FPJaySolomon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tim, Phil, Ian & Tate are joined by Arynne Wexler to discuss a potentially developing war with Iran, people betting on the chances of the Islamic Republic collapsing, silver prices skyrocketing and fluctuating and nationwide Verizon outages plunging the country into disarray. Hosts: Tim @Timcast (everywhere) Phil @PhilThatRemains (X) Ian @IanCrossland (X) Tate @realTateBrown (everywhere) Producer: Serge @SearchDupre (X) Guest: Arynne Wexler @ArynneWexler (X)
President Trump said help is on the way to Iran as protesters face a brutal government crackdown. The Atlantic’s Arash Azizi explains what might come next for the Islamic Republic. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to meet with representatives from Greenland and Denmark in Washington. The Wall Street Journal’s Max Colchester breaks down what’s at stake for both sides. AI data centers have brought together a diverse set of opposition. Evan Halper of the Washington Post joins to discuss how the issue entered the national political conversation. Plus, multiple federal prosecutors resigned in response to the DOJ’s investigation into the shooting of Renee Good, the Clintons refused to testify in the Epstein inquiry, and the uniquely American accent that’s disappearing. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Former NFL star and announcer Jay Feely joins the show to talk about his new Charlie-inspired, Trump-endorsed run for Arizona's 1st Congressional District. He talks about the economy, how faith inspired him to leave a lucrative career for public service, and what it was like to play with Tom Brady. Then, Iranian exile Erica Le Bon weighs in on the uprising in the Islamic Republic and what the prospects are for toppling the Ayatollah's regime. Watch every episode ad-free on members.charliekirk.com! Get new merch at charliekirkstore.com!Support the show: http://www.charliekirk.com/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.