Breaking History — The Making of Modern Iran (Part 1)

Podcast: Breaking History
Host: The Free Press
Air Date: January 14, 2026

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In this in-depth episode, host Eli Lake examines the complex origins of modern Iran by tracing its ongoing struggle between autocracy and democracy. With the Iranian regime in crisis after recent upheavals, the show delves into over a century of tumultuous history—revolutions, foreign interventions, reform movements, and the enduring pull of both monarchy and popular rule. Interviewing eminent historians and drawing on primary sources, the episode untangles Iran's paradox: a people repeatedly restless against tyranny, yet repeatedly governed by autocrats.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS AND INSIGHTS

Modern Context: Regime Crisis and Protest

• Recent Context:

  • U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities (Operation Midnight Hammer) and renewed American discussions of potential regime change signal Iran's ongoing instability.
  • President Trump’s statement:

    "If the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a regime change?" (03:00)

  • The Israeli government calls for Iranians to unite against the "evil and oppressive regime," invoking “Woman, Life, Freedom” (03:28).

• Domestic Turmoil:

  • Multiple uprisings since 2017—a sign of persistent mass dissent.
  • Notable demonstrations in 1999 (student protests over media repression) and 2009 (protests over a stolen election).

• Opposition Leaders:

  • Nobel Peace Prize winners and activists call (June 15) for the end of uranium enrichment and the regime’s resignation.

  • The exiled son of the last Shah urges Ali Khamenei to step down, promising fair judicial process—something previous rulers never extended.

    "Step down. And if you do, you will receive a fair trial and due process of law, which is more than you have ever given any Iranian." (04:29)

Iran’s Revolutionary Tradition vs. Monarchal Legacy

• Street Protest as an Iranian Tradition:

  • Roots traced to 1892’s tobacco boycott, stoked by the clergy in response to foreign economic deals (06:31).

  • The current regime is likened to the monarchy it replaced; supreme leaders wield king-like powers.

    "How has a country so restless against tyrants ended up voting for kings?" — Eli Lake (08:35)

The Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911)

• Backdrop:

  • Late 19th-century Iran reduced to a pawn for Russia, Britain, Germany, and the Ottomans, hobbled by the corrupt Qajar (Alcazar) dynasty (10:21–12:05).

• Revolution’s Nature:

  • Leaderless: No charismatic singular figure led the movement.

    "One of the beauties of the constitutional revolution...it is, first of all, a leaderless revolution." — Abbas Amanat (13:07)

  • Justice Core: The revolution was powered less by Western-style liberalism and more by a native drive for justice rooted in Shia Islam.

    "This concept of justice...became crucial and central. And this was a fairly familiar concept for the Iranians." — Abbas Amanat (15:06)

• Early Reform and Reversal:

  • The 1906 Constitution established a parliament (Majlis) and enumerated rights, but stability was short-lived.
  • Anti-democratic reaction from the new Shah Mohammad Ali, who—with Russian backing—attacked the Majlis (18:00–19:00).

Aftermath: Fragile Hopes and Enduring Weakness

• Poetic Reflection:
  • Mohammad Taqi Bahar’s poem captures post-revolutionary disillusionment:

    "It is from us what befalls us..." (19:51)

Enter Reza Khan: Rise of a New Strongman

• Post-WWI Chaos: Iran devastated by famine, foreign occupation, and internal rebellion (21:05).

• Reza Khan’s Ascension:

  • Military leader who suppressed separatists and, with elite backing, seized power in 1921.

  • Overwhelming support in parliament led to his crowning as Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1925 (25:39–26:40).

    "The big moment comes on October 31, 1925. That's when the Majlis itself essentially fashions the rod for its own back." (26:40)

• Dissenting Voice:

  • Mohammad Mosaddegh’s memorable protest speech against monarchy in parliament.

    "If they cut off my head and cut me into pieces...I will not accept this after 20 years of bloodshed." (29:19)

Reza Shah’s Authoritarian Modernization

• Dictatorship and Progress:

  • Reza Shah was both oppressive and a modernizer—centralizing power, banning the hijab, cracking down on opposition, but also instituting national railroads, education, and army reforms (31:00–34:00).

    "Reza Pahlavi was a tyrant. And while his tyranny was effectively legislated into existence by Iran's parliament, that institution, the Majlis, became a rubber stamp during his reign..." (31:00) "He manages to create a unified [Iran] at a big expense. Don't think that it's all very positive. Authoritarianism, strong rule, suppression." — Abbas Amanat (33:16)

• Downfall:

  • Forced into exile by Allied invasion in 1941.

    "It was a fairly miserable exile...He was a very proud person...He died a very sorrowful, mournful person." — Ray Takeyh (35:50)

Postwar Opening: A Chaotic Democratic Era (1941–1953)

• Transition to Mohammad Reza Shah:

  • The young, inexperienced monarch’s early reign marked by a rare period of limited democracy.

  • Elites negotiated to continue the monarchy under occupation (36:25–39:20).

    "Post war period to experience a period of democracy, which I call it chaotic democracy. Between the 42 and 53, 10 years, 11 years and...very crucial period because there's several important questions comes about oil nationalization" — Abbas Amanat (39:08)

• Early Conservative Backlash:

  • 1944: Cleric Ruhollah Khomeini chastises the Shah’s secularization and calls for uprising (41:01).

The Mossadegh Era and Oil Nationalization

• Democratic Promise:

  • Mossadegh becomes PM, pushes for oil nationalization and further reduction of monarchic power (41:31–48:30).

    "The contracts that established the Anglo Iranian Oil Company were null and void because it was signed with an illegitimate regime..." (48:27) "Everybody understood that there was something wrong with the British government getting more tax revenues from the Anglo Iranian Oil Company than Iran getting revenue from its oil." — Ray Takeyh (48:38)

• Worker Exploitation:

  • Abbas Amanat reads a vivid depiction of dire worker conditions at British-controlled Abadan refinery (46:43–47:48).

• Mossadegh’s Downfall:

  • His rigidity on oil issues and inability to compromise with foreign powers or build broad alliances isolates him (49:24–51:23).

The 1953 Coup: Myths and Realities

• The Coup Unfolds:

  • The CIA's Kermit Roosevelt and the British plot to oust Mossadegh.

  • Popular and elite opposition to Mossadegh already high; clerics and military arrayed against him.

    "A cascade of Iranians are coming to the American Embassy saying, help us do a coup...the position of united governments was, no, we're not going to do that." — Ray Takeyh (55:03)

    "[Roosevelt's] account...is all a bit grandiose, no?" — Eli Lake (56:42)

• Revisionist Perspective:

  • US role in overthrowing Mosaddegh later widely acknowledged (Madeleine Albright, Barack Obama).

  • But Eli Lake and Ray Takeyh argue it was more complicated: Mossadegh himself trended autocratic, and the coup had strong domestic underpinnings, including support from key clerics such as Kashani (61:25–65:03).

    "A politician who entered political office as a champion of rule of law, became essentially an outlaw." — Ray Takeyh (64:16)

    "The radical clerics of 1953 supported the coup that many Western apologists today blame for fueling the 1979 Islamic Revolution." (65:03)

MEMORABLE MOMENTS & NOTABLE QUOTES

• On Iran’s Paradox:

  "How has a country so restless against tyrants ended up voting for kings?" — Eli Lake (08:35)

• On Early 20th-Century Revolution:

  "One of the beauties of the constitutional revolution... it is, first of all, a leaderless revolution." — Abbas Amanat (13:07)

• On Justice as a Source of Democratic Energy:

  "This concept of justice...became crucial and central. And this was a fairly familiar concept for the Iranians." — Abbas Amanat (15:06)

• On Reza Shah’s Modernization:

  "He manages to create a unified Iran at a big expense. Don't think that it's all very positive. Authoritarianism, strong rule, suppression." — Abbas Amanat (33:16)

• On Workers' Plight in Oil Industry:

  "Wages were 50 cents a day. There was no vacation pay, no sick leave, no disability compensation. The workers lived in a shanty town called Kagazabad, or Paper City, without running water or electricity..." (46:43)

• On Mossadegh’s Political Failure:

  "A politician who entered political office as a champion of rule of law, became essentially an outlaw." — Ray Takeyh (64:16)

TIMESTAMPS FOR SIGNIFICANT SEGMENTS

• Current Context & Regime Instability: 02:00–04:51
• Historical Roots of Protest: 06:31–08:35
• Constitutional Revolution Begins: 10:21–13:07
• Amanat on Leaderless Revolutions: 13:07
• Shia Tradition of Justice: 14:08–15:49
• Coup Against the Majlis: 18:00–19:00
• Bahar’s Poetic Lament: 19:51
• Rise of Reza Khan: 21:05–26:40
• Mosaddegh's Dissent in Parliament: 29:19
• Reza Shah’s Authoritarian Modernization: 31:00–34:40
• Reza Shah’s Fall: 35:08–36:04
• The Democratic Era: 36:25–39:42
• Khomeini’s 1944 Open Letter: 41:01
• Oil Nationalization Campaign: 44:00–51:50
• Abadan Workers' Conditions: 46:43
• Coup Planning and Execution: 55:03–59:00
• Myth vs. Reality of the 1953 Coup: 61:18–65:03

CONCLUSION & WHAT’S NEXT

The episode draws to a close by reflecting on how even Iran's most democratic moments have given way to centralized, autocratic power—often at the hands of those once devoted to reform. After Mossadegh’s fall, the seeds of both hope and repression persist, setting the stage for future revolution and the rise of Khomeini.

"Even Mohammad Mosaddegh, the champion of the constitution, the hero of Iranian democracy, was becoming a tyrant after his first taste of executive power. Once again, Iran's liberals, in a sense, had chosen autocracy." (65:57)

The episode ends with a promise: Part 2 will address the second Pahlavi Shah's reign, the brewing Islamic revolution, and the birth of the regime that still governs Iran.

For listeners interested in the tragedies and ironies of Iranian democracy, autocracy, and revolution, this first part of “The Making of Modern Iran” provides a rich, lucid narrative packed with primary source commentary and probing analysis.