logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
23m 57s

Life in Iran

Bbc World Service
About this episode

As Iran prepares to hold its presidential election to select a replacement for Hassan Rouhani, BBC Persian presenter Rana Rahimpour brings together Iranians, both in the country and living abroad, to hear about their lives and thoughts. Three young Iranians discuss what it’s like to live in a country where many people want to leave and need two jobs to make ends meet. Plus two sisters - one in London and the other still living in Iran with their parents - discuss the emotional difficulties of separation.

Up next
Today
Was ‘Made in China’ made in America?
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, all this week The Global Story is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world.For decades in the US, “Made in China” signified a product that was cheap, poorly made, and, in some cases, p ... Show More
27m 7s
May 2
Mapping Epstein's global connections
The personal correspondence, photographs and papers of the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein have been released to the public in stages, beginning in December 2025, after an almost unanimous vote in the US Senate. The released files run to three and a half ... Show More
26m 29s
Apr 25
Inside the Mugabe dynasty
Late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe died in 2019, but in the years before and since his death, his three children with his former wife, Grace, consistenly made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In April 2026 Bellarmine Mugabe pled guilty to a firearms offence in South Afri ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
Iran’s presidential election: What do the people want?
Iranians go to the polls next week to decide who’ll be the country’s next president. Hundreds of potential candidates were disqualified, some of whom represent the reform movement, leaving just seven men in the running. Whoever wins will inherit a dire economy, with one-in-ten Ir ... Show More
49m 6s
Jan 2020
Is The Door To Iran Closed Forever?
In light of all the news coming out of Iran, we're talking with Jason Rezaian — an Iranian-American author and journalist who has experienced Iran's contradictions up close.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to ma ... Show More
30m 52s
Dec 2022
Understanding Iran
Yeganeh and Jason Rezaian join Ben to answer all of your burning questions about Iran: what life is like for girls and women, why this movement is different than any before it, the risk of civil war or wider conflict, and why we should all care about the future of Iran and its pe ... Show More
1h 21m
Jun 2021
The Iranian Election: A Debrief
The June 18th presidential election will bring significant changes for Iran and its relations with the West. With a hardliner taking power in August, questions remain: Will Ebrahim Raisi change Iran’s foreign and domestic policies? What will be the prospects for continued engagem ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 2025
What Iran Wants
<p>Historian and podcaster Afshon Ostovar joins New Lines’ Faisal Al Yafai to discuss the ideology and strategy of Iran, its recent conflict with Israel and what the future might hold for the Islamic Republic.</p> <p>Produced by Finbar Anderson</p> 
53m 46s
Feb 2024
The View From Iran
<p>To understand any country's foreign policy you need to understand domestic political dynamics. So what is driving Iranian decision making right now? Negar Mortazavi is a journalist, host of the Iran Podcast and senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. I reached ou ... Show More
25m 36s
Nov 2022
Iran Confronts Domestic and Regional Change
<p>As the world watches, protests continue to rage across Iran.</p> <p>With protests continuing across the country, Dr Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Senior Research Fellow, RUSI International Security Studies, to consider Iran's future as it faces a changing ... Show More
37m 4s
Nov 2022
A Conversation About Iran Through Its Food
The past six weeks have seen historic demonstrations sweep across Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, with protesters—the majority of whom are women—taking to the streets to address the country's status quo. Lale chats with Iranian-American cookbook author Naz De ... Show More
33m 39s
Aug 2021
Iran under Raisi
<p>How will Iran’s new president tackle growing disillusionment&nbsp;at home, a potentially hostile regime on its eastern border and negotiations to revive the nuclear deal? Andrew England, the FT’s Middle East editor, discusses what we can expect from Ebrahim Raisi with Sanam Va ... Show More
30m 10s