Iran: The Latest

Episode: "Iran thinks it’s still a great power": Why the regime won’t surrender

Date: April 3, 2026
Host: Roland Oliphant
Guest: Prof. Ali Ansari (St Andrews University, Iranian history expert)

Episode Overview

This special Easter edition of "Iran: The Latest" steps back from the immediate headlines of Iran’s conflict with the US and Israel to explore the deep historical roots of Iranian identity and statehood. Roland Oliphant interviews Prof. Ali Ansari, an expert in Iranian history, covering the origins of the Iranian state, the impact of major empires, the effect of geography and religion, and how myth, history, and politics shape both the regime’s worldview and the opposition’s resistance. The discussion provides listeners with a context for understanding today’s Iran beyond the Islamic Republic’s contemporary politics, focusing on the endurance of Iranian civilization and how the past informs current events and propaganda.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ali Ansari’s Background (03:06 - 04:14)

• Personal Background:
  • Ali Ansari, born to Iranian parents, grew up mainly in the UK, briefly lived in Iran in the 1970s, attended school in Tehran and South London.
  • Self-identifies as British-Iranian.
• Professional Background:
  • Professor of Iranian history at St Andrews University.

When Does "Iran" Begin? (04:14 - 07:18)

• Origins of Iranianness:
  • Iranian nationalism often projects antiquity back thousands of years.
  • Most scholars trace the "idea of Iran" to the Achaemenid Empire (Cyrus the Great, c. 550 BCE).
  • First explicit use of "Iran" as a polity appears during the Sasanian Empire (3rd–7th century CE).
  • Political continuity was interrupted after the Arab-Islamic conquest, with a cultural thread surviving and reemerging in later centuries.

Notable quote:

"I think we obsess too much on the political system that happens to be in charge. What's actually matter, I think, is the culture and the civilization and the people."
— Ali Ansari (06:32)

Language and Continuity (07:18 - 08:43)

• Linguistic Evolution:
  • Ancient and Middle Persian are largely unintelligible to modern Iranians, though some vocabulary persists.
  • “New Persian” (from 9th–10th century) is much more comprehensible to modern speakers.
• Cultural Continuity:
  • Despite invasions and transformations, there is a tangible line of linguistic and cultural development from the ancient period to today.

Geography and Identity (08:43 - 12:16)

• Geographic Determinism:

  • The Iranian plateau’s arid, mountainous terrain fostered both resilience and a warrior ethos.
  • Fertile valleys (especially near the Caspian) enable agriculture.
  • Water management is a core component of Iranian civilization.

• Early Imperial Systems:

  • Aryan tribes migrated into the plateau in the first millennium BCE.
  • Iran’s empires (Medes, Achaemenids, Parthians, Sasanians) were defined as much by their geography as their culture.

Notable quote:

“One of the defining aspects of Iranian civilization is really the management of water… it allows several developments in agriculture to take place on the plateau.”
— Ali Ansari (10:04)

The Three Great Imperial Systems (12:16 - 14:46)

• Achaemenids:
  • Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes – classical "Persian Empire."
• Parthians:
  • Nomadic origins; heavy cavalry (“cataphracts”), rivals to Rome; key in forming Iranian identity and mythology.
• Sasanians:
  • Implemented standing armies, fortified frontiers, sometimes acted as “defenders of civilization” (even charging Romans for border protection).
  • Collapsed after Arab conquest (7th c. CE).

Memorable moment:

“They developed the cataphract, they developed the horse archer.… They inflict some pretty serious defeats on the Romans.”
— Ali Ansari (13:00)

Modern Propaganda’s Use of Ancient History (14:46 - 15:43)

• Current Regime’s Appropriation:
  • The Islamic Republic uses ancient victories over the West/Rome as propaganda parallels for current conflicts.

Notable quote:

“The Islamic Republic has… decided that this frieze is something they need to recreate for public consumption… a reminder of just what a great power they once were.”
— Ali Ansari (15:18)

Pre-Islamic vs. Islamic Iran (17:13 - 27:21)

Pre-Islamic Culture & Zoroastrianism (19:57 - 25:21)

• Cultural Marks:
  • Wine drinking and feasting prominent in pre-Islamic literature (e.g., Shahnameh).
  • Nowruz (Persian New Year, spring equinox) stems from Zoroastrian tradition, persists despite Islamic clerical disapproval.
• Zoroastrianism’s Influence:
  • Dualistic worldview (good/evil) and belief in free agency.
  • Strong influences on Judaism and Christianity (concepts like angels, holy spirits, messiahs).
  • Rituals around fire as symbolic of purity.
• Persistence of Traditions:
  • Attempts to ban Nowruz failed; it's central to Iranian identity.

Notable quote:

“The most important signifier of that sort of pre-Islamic continuity is the New Year, the Persian New Year, which falls in the spring equinox. And this is a traditional Zoroastrian festival. And you see, you see many aspects of the Zoroastrian ethos and culture continue within the Islamic world.”
— Ali Ansari (19:37)

Memorable moment:

“You have this ritual… where people jump over little mini bonfires. It’s partly a purification ceremony… Many clerics… say this is all pagan… But they've never been able to stop it.”
— Ali Ansari (24:07)

The Islamic Conquest and the Shift to Shiism (26:40 - 30:58)

• Islamic Conquest:
  • Did not immediately "erase" pre-Islamic culture; many aspects persisted.
• Shia/Sunni distinction:
  • Iran spent centuries as part of the predominantly Sunni caliphate.
  • Switch to Shiism occurred under the Safavid dynasty (16th c.), which forcibly converted the population.
  • Shiism provided a distinct identity, separating Iran from Sunni neighbors (e.g., Ottomans).
• Religio-political dynamics:
  • “Shia just means Party of Ali… around the Prophet’s son-in-law.”

Modern Iranian Identity: Myths, Nationalism, and the Islamic Republic (31:26 - 40:48)

• Multiple Layers of Identity:
  • Prof. Ansari notes Iran’s identity is shaped by pre-Islamic, Islamic, and Western influences.
  • The regime uses both Shiism and ancient myth to justify itself, but this creates internal tensions.
• Ancient grandeur in today’s propaganda:
  • Examples include AI-generated videos tying ancient warriors to attacks on American forces, using epic poetry (Shahnameh/Ferdowsi).
  • Regime appropriates legends (e.g., Arash the Archer) to stoke nationalist and martial sentiment.
• Appropriation as a Double-Edged Sword:
  • Attempts to hijack ancient myths can backfire, as opposition and ordinary Iranians also draw inspiration from these narratives to resist the regime.

Notable quote:

“That sort of fight with the West in a sense is seen as a continuation of some sort of contest. But… their pre-Islamic identity plays a much more forceful role in the way they see themselves in the world than their Islamic identity.”
— Ali Ansari (33:12)

Memorable moment:

“Ahmadinejad… brought the Cyrus cylinder back to Iran in 2010… Moved to tears… promoted Arash the Archer as a symbol supporting Iran’s right to enrich uranium!”
— Ali Ansari (36:13)

Myth in Resistance (37:56 - 40:48)

• Opposition uses myth, too:
  • Khamenei being called “Zahhak” (mythical tyrant from Shahnameh) in opposition discourse.
  • The people’s mythological heritage (Shahnameh) as a weapon against tyranny.
  • The blacksmith Kaveh, a people’s hero who overthrew Zahhak, serves as inspiration for dissent and was especially popular among leftist Iranians in the 20th century.

Notable quote:

“The people of Iran possess a weapon the regime could never take from them—the Shahnamar and their timeless mythological heritage.”
— Mariam Mazroui (read by Oliphant, 39:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "There's also this very, very strong element in Iran that we're really a great power and we deserve to be a great power… and why the hell doesn't anyone accept that we're a great power?"
  — Ali Ansari (01:13 & 31:26)

• On drinking in Iranian history:

  "Clearly, you know, drinking was prevalent… and the officials at the Islamic Republic would always tell me it was grape juice. And I said, are you sure it's grape juice? It looks like wine to me."
  — Ali Ansari (18:43)

• On Nowruz:

  “At the end of the Nowruz period, 13 days afterwards, you're all meant to go outside. There's a lot of environmentally related themes… being outside, being with nature, being in harmony with nature. As much as I like celebrating January 1st… I do think that the Iranians are onto something.”
  — Ali Ansari (25:56)

• On myth and power:

  “Kaveh is a blacksmith… a working man's hero, if you will. Very popular among the left in Iran… In the Islamic Republic… it's a deeply problematic myth, because here you have Kaveh, the common man, fighting to overthrow the Arab tyrant of Iran.”
  — Ali Ansari (39:02)

Key Timestamps

• 03:06: Ali Ansari’s personal and scholarly background
• 05:06: The beginnings of Iran as a civilization and nation
• 07:18: Language changes across Iranian history
• 09:28: Geography and Iranian identity formation
• 12:16 - 14:46: The three great empires: Achaemenid, Parthian, Sasanian
• 17:13: Character of pre-Islamic Iranian culture; Zoroastrianism explained
• 19:57: Zoroastrian influence on Judaism and Christianity
• 24:07: Nowruz and fire festival’s survival into Islamic times
• 26:40: The history and roots of Shiism in Iran
• 31:26: How layered history impacts present-day Iranian identity and politics
• 34:00: Example of modern propaganda fusing ancient legend with present conflict
• 37:56 - 40:48: Use of myth in modern opposition: Khamenei as Zahhak, Kaveh as a symbol of rebellion

Conclusion

This episode of "Iran: The Latest" offers a profound and accessible primer on what makes Iran unique—its geography, the depth of its history, its syncretic culture, and the tension between myth, nationalism, religion, and politics. Ali Ansari expertly draws connections between Iran’s imperial past and the current regime’s narratives, while also showing how the same myths empower resistance against clerical rule. The discussion sets up future episodes that promise to delve deeper into recent Iranian history and the causes of today’s geopolitical crisis.