logo
episode-header-image
Jun 17
23m 28s

Confused unity: the mood in Iran

The Economist
About this episode

A sudden war made Iran’s leaders look unprepared. And many Iranians loathe the regime. But there are no signs yet that internal dissent will shape the conflict. Shortly after Nayib Bukele became El Salvador’s president, he was labelled as the world’s first millennial dictator; now he is going after his critics. And remembering Valmik Thapar, tireless campaigner for India’s tigers.


Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Up next
Yesterday
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Jul 8
The French reconnection: Macron in Britain
Anglo-French relations have not been so good since before the Brexit vote. Beneath the state-visit pageantry, though, there is much co-operation for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss. Gangs have infiltrated many of Latin America’s mining operati ... Show More
21m 10s
Jul 7
Trump card: can he broker a Gaza deal?
While Israel and Hamas officials discuss a ceasefire via mediators in Qatar, a key meeting will take place at the White House today, when Israel’s prime minister talks to the US president. Why the Chinese Communist Party is removing alcohol from official events. And remembering J ... Show More
21m 7s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 17
Confused unity: the mood in Iran
A sudden war made Iran’s leaders look unprepared. And many Iranians loathe the regime. But there are no signs yet that internal dissent will shape the conflict. Shortly after Nayib Bukele became El Salvador’s president, he was labelled as the world’s first millennial dictator; no ... Show More
23m 28s
Jun 26
Not-deciding factor: Iran’s supreme leader
We examine the path of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once a bookish cleric underrated by everyone—including himself. He has hung on to power perhaps in part by not making decisions at crucial points. Our finance correspondent looks at the shifting wisdom on how best to manage an inheri ... Show More
23m 54s
Jun 24
Truce and consequences: a fragile ceasefire in Iran
Iran’s strikes both before and apparently after a ceasefire began seem to threaten peace. If it holds, what will that mean for Iran’s ambitions, and for the wider region? A meeting of NATO-country leaders seems precision-engineered to appease the alliance’s most fickle member. An ... Show More
24m 44s
Jun 23
No good options: how Iran will respond
After America’s strikes intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, one question is whether they succeeded. Another is how Iran will respond; all of its options are bad ones. In the West people have been shedding religion for decades, but that secularist shift now seems to be s ... Show More
22m 29s
Jul 2024
How Iran may look under new Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian
The election victory of heart surgeon Masoud Pezeshkian has aroused hopes and doubts in Iran and beyond. He is a Reformist who says he will be more lenient towards women and will seek to reduce tensions with the West. Yet, his record is spotty. While defying hawkish clerics on so ... Show More
42m 8s
Jun 21
The future of Iran
For decades, Iran was able to project power across the Middle East using its network of proxies. That meant any strikes against it could threaten to trigger a formidable response. But Israel's recent attacks have exposed just how vulnerable Tehran is. In this special episode of R ... Show More
22m 39s
Sep 2024
The killing of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah
Today on the show, Fareed speaks with New York Times Magazine staff writer Ronen Bergman to discuss how Israel was able to carry out its assassination of Hezbollah’s leader in Beirut, and what might come next as tensions continue to rise throughout the region.  Then, in his first ... Show More
43m 4s
Apr 2024
The Iranian Revolution of 1979
The Iranian Revolution was one of the most inspiring revolutionary episodes of the post-war period. Without any pre-adopted plan, programme, or leadership, the Iranian masses swept away the Shah, and began to take charge of society for themselves through popular councils. And yet ... Show More
52m 33s
Jun 25
Who is Iran’s Supreme Leader?
After twelve days of intense fighting, Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire that, for now, seems to be holding.Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is the man in charge in Tehran. His current whereabouts are a mystery. As we wait to see what’s next in this conflict, we look ... Show More
9m 8s
Jun 20
Europe Tries to Restart Iran Diplomacy
A.M. Edition for June 20. President Trump gives himself two weeks to decide whether to j oin Israel in attacking Iran. WSJ foreign correspondent Sune Rasmussen describes how European countries hope to avoid such an outcome by pushing Iran to make compromises on its nuclear progra ... Show More
12m 22s