The Iranians Who Want More War
Summary
This episode explores the deep internal divisions in Iran following a temporary ceasefire with the U.S. Reporter Abdi Latif Tahir describes how hardliners, fueled by revenge for the late Ayatollah Khamenei, undermined peace talks by attacking U.S. ships. Correspondent Farnaz Fasihi explains that Iran’s new supreme leader lacks the authority to unite pragmatists and extremists, leaving the country fractured. Meanwhile, the majority of Iranians, suffering from economic collapse, desperately seek an end to the conflict.
Topics discussed
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Intro: US-Iran ceasefire and internal divisions
Abdi Latif Tahir: Entering Iran and monitoring
Observing the Ayatollah Khamenei funeral
Crowd sentiment: Grief turning to revenge
Public backlash against peace negotiators
Iran strikes ships in Strait of Hormuz
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Farnaz Fasihi: Who ordered the ship attack?
Faction 1: The ultra-hardliners
Faction 2: The pragmatic leadership
The absent Supreme Leader and power vacuum
The silent majority: Public anger and economy
Can the new leader stop the hardliners?
US Ambassador Waltz on Iranian divisions
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Wildfires in Spain and France
Credits and sign-off
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