Empire: World History 330. The Iranian Revolution: 1979 vs. 2026 (Ep 1)
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Feb 3, 2026 
Ramita Navai, Iran-born journalist and documentary-maker who reports on contemporary society and protests. Scott Anderson, author and historian who studied the 1979 revolution. They compare 1979 and 2026 protests. They discuss the Shah’s US visit and its fallout. They explore how reform demands shifted to calls for regime change, the scale of repression, and economic drivers of unrest.
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Friend Sent Pro-Shah Protest Videos
- Ramita Navai received videos from a friend in Iran showing crowds chanting 'Long live the Shah' shortly before the internet blackout.
- She had never before heard such pro-Pahlavi chants on Iranian streets, marking a striking recent shift.
Pre-Revolutionary Symbols Reemerge
- Nostalgia for Iran's pre-Islamic past and symbols (Cyrus's tomb, Lion and Sun flag) acts as a unifying, rebellious identity marker.
- Displaying Pahlavi-era symbols signals rejection of the Islamic Republic and taps deep cultural pride.
Leaderlessness Shapes Movements
- The absence of an internal, unifying leader historically helps sustain leaderless uprisings but also leaves no clear successor to the regime.
- That leadership vacuum explains why Crown Prince Reza appears as a reluctant focal point now.
