logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
33m 45s

Killing hope: Iran's mind wars

The Observer
About this episode

The fall of Assad in Syria is a disaster for Iran, so much so that people are beginning to ask if this might finally be the moment when Iran’s pro-democracy movement breaks through. This is the story of one activist’s 25 year fight against the Islamic regime in Iran, a story of courage and despair.


Reporter: Ceri Thomas

Producer: Katie Gunning

Sound design: Dominic Delargy

Artwork: Jon Hill

Show's Executive Producer: Matt Russell


To find out more about Tortoise:


Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists


Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content


Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jul 8
The mystery of Francis Bacon's minder
This is the story of how a boxing match helped solve a 50-year art world mystery. And how, when a man named Ted wades in to stop a mugging in Soho, it leads to a most unlikely life-altering friendship with an artist who makes him, or his picture, immortal. Reporter: Stephen Smith ... Show More
40m 7s
Jul 7
Introducing...Drilled
We are partnering with the podcast Drilled, to share something extra with you this week so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations on The Slow Newscast and across The Observer audio network. You can discover more at https://observer.co.uk/listen.This ... Show More
43m 45s
Jul 1
Liz UnTrussed
Liz Truss was the UK’s shortest serving prime minister, but since leaving office she’s continued to buck the trend. Post premiership, she’s become one of the most vocal among her peers. What has driven her into the arms of the populist right? And what does it tell us about the st ... Show More
34m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 22
WW3 Countdown? U.S. Bombs Iran | 'I Told Iran to Build the Bomb' – George Galloway Unfiltered
🚨 The war has officially begun.U.S. bombers have struck Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran has answered with a direct missile assault on Israel. With the Middle East in chaos and the global balance shifting fast, some say this moment is even more dangerous than Iraq.🎙 On tonight’s ... Show More
1h 32m
Apr 2024
STOP! Fmr Israeli PM says NO MORE STRIKES ON IRAN - With Rula Jebreal on The Don Lemon Show
Iran and Israel traded blows over the weekend, threatening to draw the Middle East into a broader conflict as the war in Gaza rages on. We speak with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Rula Jebreal, an award-winning journalist and visiting professor at The University o ... Show More
39m 13s
Dec 2024
You Get Dead For Supporting The Arab Cause | Israel Has Invaded Syria
We are never, ever, getting back together. 'I'm not washing my hands of Palestine.' The Arab world is a sea of dictatorships. The new regime has sold Syria to Israel says Syrian Girl, who gives her take on how the head-choppers' leader Golani has betrayed the country to the US an ... Show More
1h 25m
Feb 2025
372. Syria, al-Sharaa, and the future of the Middle East
What does al-Sharaa's rise to power mean for Syria? Given his surprise takeover, how will today’s CIA analysts be changing the way they think about the country and what happens next? Will Syria be the next Libya? Join Rory and Alastair as they discuss Syria’s rapidly shifting pol ... Show More
1h 8m
Oct 2024
Death & Taxes | Iran Is Locked & Loaded
A rocket through Netanyahu's bedroom window. Big Dada Amin Lammy and the execution of free speech. And for you, Kamala, the war is over! On this Moats George Galloway gives his take as Netanyahu is gung-ho for a regional war, Bannon is out and roaring, Biden garbage, and for Kama ... Show More
1h 17m
Jun 25
DEBATE: Was Trump Right to Bomb Iran? - Glenn Greenwald
Glenn Greenwald is an American journalist, author, and former lawyer best known for his work on civil liberties and national security issues. | SPONSOR. We use Ground News to escape the echo chamber and stay fully informed. Go to https://ground.news/triggernometry to save 40% on ... Show More
1h 33m
Dec 2024
Who Is the Rebel Leader Who Ousted Assad?
On December 8, 2024, Syrian rebels stunned the world when they seized Damascus and toppled the government of Bashar al-Assad, more than 13 years into the country’s brutal war. Spearheading the rebel offensive was Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, the leader of the Syrian militant group Hay ... Show More
19m 31s
Jun 22
Iran Pt. 1: A Socialist Introduction w/ Séamus Malekafzali [BONUS]
As seems to be the case with most of the countries that the United States goes to war with—much of the population here doesn’t know very much about those countries. And what they do know is usually Western propaganda, misinformation, or outright lies. This couldn’t be more true w ... Show More
1h 45m
Oct 2024
The view from Tehran: Iran's VP Zarif on Israel, Gaza & US complicity in ongoing conflicts
The Middle East finds itself teetering on the brink of a full-scale regional conflict as the world marks one year since the October 7th Hamas attacks. Israel has intensified its military operations against Iran-backed forces across multiple fronts, leaving destruction in its wake ... Show More
33m 57s
Apr 2024
Arash Azizi on Iran's Turbulent Past and its Uncertain Future
Regularly embroiled in international conflicts – both militarily and diplomatically – and locked in a cycle of protest and heavy government crackdowns on the domestic political front, Iran has rarely been out of the international spotlight over the past decades. The protests in r ... Show More
48m 30s