Iran is at a boiling point. In January mass protests broke out across the country and many thousands of people were wounded and killed — by their own government. US President Trump appeared to egg the protesters on, though no tangible aid or succour materialised. On the other hand the US has now moved an aircraft carrier and a number of destroyers close to Iran in a military threat which remains unclear in its aims.
The immediate reason for the demonstrations was money: the Iranian economy is dire, and sliding still further into the abyss. But the context is broader and more complex: an autocratic and dictatorial regime that cares only for itself and its survival; and a regime unwilling to engage with the world efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions, and the resulting heavy sanctions burden.
To untangle these and many other threads, and to gain a sense of the broader Iranian position — and the evolving regional interests — Ilana Bet-El welcomes back Iran specialist Roxane Farmanfarmaian, Senior Associate Fellow at ELN, for a deep and fascinating examination of Iran at a crossroads.
This episode was recorded on 5 February 2026
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