Amanpour (CNN Podcasts) – "Iranian Professor Defends Regime"

Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Christiane Amanpour

Episode Overview

This episode of Amanpour focuses on Iran’s recent deadly crackdown against widespread protests, international responses—including U.S. President Trump's hesitation over military intervention—and the war of narratives shaping perceptions inside and outside Iran. Key guests include Mohammad Marandi, a Tehran University professor known for defending the Islamic Republic, and Nazanin Ansari, an Iranian journalist supporting the opposition and monarchy. Additional segments explore Venezuelan politics and an unprecedented criminal investigation into U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but the primary focus is the Iranian crisis and the battle for legitimacy and narrative control.

I. Iran’s Deadly Unrest – Competing Narratives

Background: Escalation and International Response

• [00:04] Christiane Amanpour:
  Sets the stage: Iran is largely cut off from the outside. Reports suggest thousands have been killed in a brutal crackdown on protests triggered by a currency collapse.

• [01:39] Donald Trump:
  Signals he's holding fire on military action, citing reports the killing is "stopping":

  “We've been told that the killing in Iran is stopping. It's stopped. It's stopping. And there's no plan for executions ... I've been told that a good authority, we'll find out about it.” ([01:39])

• U.S. allies urge restraint; Iran’s Foreign Ministry blames outside "plots" for violence.

II. Interview: Mohammad Marandi Defends the Islamic Republic

Key Topics and Insights

Marandi's Counter-Narrative

• Denies Western Reports of Massacre and Crackdown

  • Marandi strongly objects to labeling Iran as a "regime," bristles at Amanpour’s use of the term, and contests the Western framing of the events ([03:43]-[03:59]).

• Blames Foreign Interference

  • Claims economic protests were real but later hijacked by armed "terrorists" with foreign backing.
  • Quote:

    “After that, 10 days, for three days, we had a completely different story. A terrorist operation. ... They wanted to drag [Trump] into this conflict. That was exactly an Israeli plot.” ([02:13])

• Violence, Victims, and Blame

  • Asserts that most casualties are security forces or civilians killed by “rioters”:

    “They attacked police stations. They killed police officers in police stations. ... The narrative in the West is ... these are peaceful protests. ... The Israelis are saying this, but somehow Western media is ignoring it.” ([04:14], [06:08])

  • Insists there were minimal arrests during initial economic protests, comparing Iran favorably to Western crackdowns in the UK or Germany ([04:14]).

  • On Video Evidence of Security Forces Firing:
    Refuses to admit demonstrators were killed by authorities directly:

    “Many of those corpses were police officers. ... There's a lot of footage of this ... I posted some online and so have many other people.” ([07:07])

• Crossfire and Foreign Manipulation

  • When pressed, admits some civilians may have died, but blames crossfire and "rioter" action:

    “The rioters and the police were shooting at each other and innocent people in the middle were also hit. ... Some were killed intentionally by the rioters.” ([08:31])

• Rejects Western Media and Sanctions

  • Attacks CNN and Western narratives, claiming:

    “I'm truthful and CNN is not truthful. CNN is the side that supported the genocide in Gaza.” ([08:03])

  • Reiterates main government line: If West wants to help Iranians, it should end sanctions, not fuel conflict ([09:37]).

On Economic Roots and Blame

• Deflects responsibility for the economic crisis to "American currency manipulation" and blames the West for strangling Iran with sanctions ([04:14], [12:40]).

• Cites President Peseschkian’s and Supreme Leader's limited acknowledgements of mismanagement, but asserts Iran is under economic "war":

  “The West is not the outside world. ... But the President has repeatedly said that the United States is waging war on us. ... There's no doubt that the United States and its allies have been strangling the Iranian people ...” ([12:46])

Internet Blackout and Legitimacy

• Defends harsh internet restrictions as necessary to disrupt foreign coordination, citing mass pro-government rallies as proof of regime support ([14:46]):

  “Millions of people came to the streets in Tehran ... in protest against the rioters and ... in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ... Why did up to 3 million people come to the streets in Tehran? ... Because these were not spontaneous riots. ... They were coordinating with intelligence services abroad.” ([14:46], [15:40])

Memorable Clashes and Tone

• The interview is repeatedly tense, with Amanpour pushing for straightforward answers on responsibility for deaths. At several points, Marandi challenges Amanpour and CNN’s integrity.
  • Notable exchange:

    Amanpour: “Are you denying that your own forces ... have killed any protesters?”
    Marandi: “My forces, The Republic.”
    Amanpour: “The Republic's forces.”
    Marandi: “What you are doing is negating the truth.” ([07:01]–[07:07])

III. Iranian Opposition – Nazanin Ansari’s Perspective

Critique of Regime Narrative

• Ansari likens Marandi's messaging to Saddam’s notorious information minister (“Baghdad Bob”)—“deny, deflect, deceive” ([17:59]).

  “If Mr. Marandi is so telling the truth, why doesn't he allow ... all the human rights defenders to ... go in, to ... count the dead?” ([18:44])

Opposition—Strength and Discord

• Describes the opposition as broad but not always unified; mentions claims by Reza Pahlavi about possible IRGC defections, but acknowledges lack of top-level military dissent ([19:33]-[20:22]).
  • “There have been a lot of rivalries. ... Are you convinced ... there is a coherent opposition?” ([25:37], [26:19])

Elections and Popular Will

• Notes massive electoral abstention—a legitimacy crisis for the Republic, with low actual support even among those who do participate ([24:52]):

  “The ones who actually did not go and vote ... was ... nearly 50% did not vote, or maybe even more ... the top candidates in parliamentary elections ... probably received only 10% of the vote.”

Protests—Past and Present

• Frames current protests as part of a secular, ongoing wave since Mahsa Amini in 2022, with the difference that this time the opposition is “ready” ([26:19]):

  “...over 92% said they are unhappy with the situation. ... This time the difference is the opposition is ready, whereas with those it was not.”

Ongoing Unrest and Information Blackout

• Stresses demonstrations continue abroad and that lack of pictures inside Iran is due to the ongoing blackout ([27:38]-[27:52]).

IV. Venezuela & U.S. Federal Reserve Segments

Note: Summaries below for context; Iran is the episode’s focus.

Venezuela: Opposition Leader’s U.S. Outreach

• Opposition leader Machado meets Trump; U.S. increasingly perceived as controlling the interim government.
• Analyst Phil Gunson discusses how power still rests with the Venezuelan military, and that US interests (oil, migration, countering China) are key drivers ([29:34]-[35:36]).

U.S. Federal Reserve: Political Interference?

• President Trump faces criticism for a DOJ criminal investigation into Fed Chair Powell, with strong bipartisan defense of central bank independence.
• Andrew Ross Sorkin calls the moment unprecedented and outlines why Fed independence is vital to U.S. economic stability ([39:01]-[54:13]).

V. Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Marandi (on Western media):

  “I'm truthful and CNN is not truthful. CNN is the side that supported the genocide in Gaza.” ([08:03])

• Amanpour (on evidence of protester deaths):

  “Are you denying that your own forces in their crackdown have killed any protesters?” ([07:01])

• Ansari (on Marandi’s messaging):

  “Mr. Marandi reminds me of being like a Baghdad Bob ... with Internet ... deny, deflect, deceive.” ([17:59])

• Ansari (on readiness of opposition):

  “This time the difference is the opposition is ready, whereas with those it was not ready.” ([26:19])

• Marandi (on regime’s legitimacy):

  “No, Christian, there's no crackdown. The Iranian people are actually among the most politically aware in the world ... millions ... came to the streets ... in support of the Islamic Republic.” ([14:46])

VI. Timeline: Key Segments and Timestamps

• [00:04]–[02:50]: Amanpour introduces Iran protests, Trump’s stance, and international diplomatic context.
• [03:43]–[16:37]: Full interview with Mohammad Marandi: regime defense, Western bias, casualties, economic origins, legitimacy.
• [17:59]–[27:55]: Nazanin Ansari on opposition and public sentiment, divisions, the monarchy, diaspora protests.
• [29:34]–[36:42]: Venezuela segment with Phil Gunson.
• [39:01]–[54:13]: Andrew Ross Sorkin and Walter Isaacson on Trump's conflict with the Federal Reserve.

VII. Summary & Takeaways

• Iran Segment Centerpiece:
  The heart of the episode is a testy, revealing debate between Christiane Amanpour and Mohammad Marandi, with Amanpour repeatedly confronting Marandi with reports and testimony of deadly crackdowns, and Marandi unwaveringly placing blame on foreign “plots,” Western economic sanctions, and media distortion. The exchange captures the propaganda war over Iran’s protest movement—between the regime’s attempt to appear embattled and legitimate, and reports of severe repression.

• Opposition Voices:
  Nazanin Ansari presents a counter-view: painting the regime as increasingly illegitimate, deeply unpopular, and violently repressive, but also candidly acknowledging challenges facing exiled and internal opposition factions.

• Broader Implication:
  The episode highlights how, in autocratic crises, information blackouts, propaganda, external intervention, and diasporic activism can create deeply conflicting realities—impeding international consensus and practical redress.

For listeners seeking to understand competing narratives and claims about the Iranian protest crisis, this episode richly illustrates both the battle lines—and the complexity—of truth, legitimacy, and external influence in modern international affairs.