It’s rare I get to interview someone from INSIDE of Iran
It’s even rarer to speak to someone who’s openly critical of the regime
And not just anyone, but one of the country’s most respected voices
Prof. Sadegh Zibakalam was arrested by both the pre-revolution Shah of Iran in the 1970s, and by the current regime 2 years ago
He is critical of both the current regime, but also of the past Monarchy, as well as any U.S. or Israeli intervention or alternative to the current regime
I enjoyed this conversation as Zibakalam did not mince his words, and he gave me honest direct answers to tough questions:
How significant are the protests?
What triggered them?
Could they topple the regime?
Do you think the Supreme Leader could flee the country?
Is there a split between the army and the IRGC?
Is there a risk of civil war?
He says the Islamic regime has never been weaker.
Iran's proxies are destroyed, its allies absent during the 12-day war with Israel, its currency in freefall, and its people chanting "Death to the dictator" in the streets.
But Zibakalam warns against celebrating regime collapse, asking the question few want to answer: what comes next?
He also believes the regime won't risk full military confrontation with the U.S. and Israel, no matter how much nationalist fervor it might generate.
The gamble is too dangerous. What if Iranians don't rally behind the flag?
Lastly, I asked the Professor: isn’t he worried about being imprisonment again for speaking out?
He admits he's terrified. Every time his phone rings, he checks nervously to see if it's the Revolutionary Guard calling.
But when asked why he keeps speaking, he gives a striking answer: "If I were in another country with my family safely abroad, I would say exactly the same things."
Watch my full discussion with @sadeghZibakalam on Iran's economic crisis, why the protests are different this time, and why he refuses to stop speaking despite knowing the risks.
02:48 - “I have actually been sentenced to 18 months in prison because I criticized, Iranian nuclear program.”
07:15 - “The current protests actually started nearly ten days ago. It was initiated by shopkeepers in Main Bazaar of Tehran and they closed their shops."
09:42 - “It's been nearly ten days, and they are still there and they have a protest.”
14:43 - ”But at that time it was a turning point, in my opinion, for the first time there was a significant division between the government on one hand and the people on the other hand.”
15:14 - “The government really did not do anything about this division."
16:11 - “But the younger generation, the more educated Iranians, they sort of distanced themselves from the Islamic government, in my opinion.”
18:21 - ”2 decades ago, people voted for someone not nominated by the government in significant numbers, and that was the beginning of a rift that we saw.”
19:54 - "Now, what we are hearing today is that they are openly and widely saying that we do not want this Islamic government anymore.”
22:06 - “The second important point is that for the first time they are shouting long live Reza Pahlavi, who has been in exile for years”
24:24 - “So why are people shouting his name? It's out of hatred of them and dissension of the Islamic regime."
34:55 - “Trump's warning to the Islamic leaders: if you shoot at Iranian people, I'm going to deal with you."
36:40 - “I think it would be very difficult for Trump to take any action because, what kind of action is he going to take?”
43:57 - “On the other hand, what are we to do when the Islamic regime is attacked by foreign power?”
46:04 - “We might even see fighting among the Revolutionary Guard itself, those who tend to support the government and those who tend to support the people.”
50:03 - “Who is going to rule Iran? In my opinion, no one, because we have no organized opposition.”
51:10 - “But if the Islamic regime is overthrown, there would be complete chaos.”
57:06 - “I obviously have heard, like many other Iranians, that the Supreme leader is planning to go to Russia, and I think it's a setup.”
01:03:04 - “The Islamic regime has become so weak as far as her allies are concerned.”
