Reflections on an 'electrifying' round of protest in Iran

Summary

Consider This from NPR

Episode Summary: "Reflections on an 'Electrifying' Round of Protest in Iran"

Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Juana Summers
Featured Guest: Jason Rezaian (Washington Post journalist, Director of Press Freedom Initiatives, former Tehran correspondent)

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Overview

This episode examines the ongoing, widespread protests in Iran, marking a pivotal moment that insiders and observers describe as "electrifying" and unprecedented. Host Juana Summers discusses the new character of these protests, their roots in both political and economic disenfranchisement, and what this moment means for Iranians, exiles, and international stakeholders. The conversation draws on firsthand accounts from within Iran, expert insights, and reflections on U.S. foreign policy missteps. Special guest Jason Rezaian, a former prisoner of the Iranian regime, shares why, for the first time in a decade, he feels hopeful about the prospect of lasting change in Iran.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Firsthand Experience of Protest in Tehran

[00:00–01:13]

• Yousef Yazdi, a U.S.-based professor and the son of Iranian parents, recounts his experience visiting his mother in Tehran during the early days of the current protests.

  • Large squares crowded, primarily with young protesters, chanting slogans like “death to the dictator.”
  • Quote:

    “There was about 2, 300 young people, mainly a few older folks like me, and then mostly younger people. And they're very peaceful, chanting slogans, mostly, you know, death to the dictator.”
    — Yousef Yazdi [00:19]

  • A small group of protesters escalated by throwing pavers at riot police, prompting a harsh reaction with tear gas.
  • Notable anecdote:

    “I made the mistake of breathing a bit through my mouth... never breathe through your mouth if you're experiencing tear gas attack because your throat will burn for days.”
    — Yousef Yazdi [00:49]

• Yazdi notes a widespread dissatisfaction with the regime:

  “I couldn't find anybody that has anything nice to say about the way things are being run, whether they're pro government or anti government.”
  — Yousef Yazdi [01:13]

2. Scale of Violence and International Stakes

[01:24–02:14]

• Over 2,500 deaths have been reported (unverified), indicating the severity of the crackdown.

• The U.S. is actively monitoring and shifting personnel, hinting at possible military options.

• The global Iranian diaspora and observers like Jason Rezaian remain hopeful, but anxious about intensifying repression.

  “I fear that many more people will be hurt and killed between now and whenever the regime does fall.”
  — Jason Rezaian [02:03]

3. Why This Moment Feels Different

[04:06–05:30]

• Rezaian tracks the quickening pace and increasing scope of protest movements in Iran:
  • From the 2009 Green Movement (political), through economic protests (2017–19), to the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom uprising.
  • Current protests are widespread and demand both political rights and better economic prospects.
  • The regime’s inability to respond meaningfully to these dual demands marks a potential tipping point.

    “At this point in time, it seems like the expiration date of this nearly 50 year old system is quickly approaching.”
    — Jason Rezaian [05:08]

4. U.S. Policy Shortcomings and Opportunities

[05:30–08:04]

• Rezaian highlights key U.S. foreign policy failures:

  • Lack of follow-through on promised support, particularly regarding internet access and information flow into and out of Iran.

    “We talk a lot right now about the Internet shutdown... we haven't been able to communicate with anybody inside Iran since a week ago today.”
    — Jason Rezaian [05:49]

  • Over-reliance on the same Washington-based voices, rather than engaging with Iranians and dissidents themselves.

  • Policy recommendation:

    “Engagement with the Iranian regime right now, especially around the nuclear program, would be a mistake. I think our focus should be centered on the people of Iran and their aspirations.”
    — Jason Rezaian [07:36]

5. Emotional Reflections on Exile and Hope

[08:04–09:52]

• The 10-year anniversary of Rezaian’s own imprisonment and forced exile coincides with the protests.

  • He expresses both hope and anxiety:
    • Hopeful from the courage of protestors.
    • Anxious about the lack of guarantees for what happens if/when the regime falls.

  “It's an incredibly mixed set of emotions. I'm proud, I'm exhilarated, but I'm scared about the loss of life and also about the very real possibility that if this regime falls, there's no guarantee that something better would automatically replace it.”
  — Jason Rezaian [08:57]

  • On being unable to return to Iran:

    “It's incredibly heartbreaking... that she [his wife] was very unceremoniously jettisoned and exiled from her homeland and hasn't been able to return and may not be able to do so for the foreseeable future.”
    — Jason Rezaian [08:22]

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Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Yousef Yazdi:

  • “Never breathe through your mouth if you're experiencing tear gas attack...” [00:49]
  • “I couldn't find anybody that has anything nice to say about the way things are being run...” [01:13]

• Jason Rezaian:

  • “I fear that many more people will be hurt and killed between now and whenever the regime does fall.” [02:03]
  • “This nearly 50 year old system is quickly approaching [its] expiration date.” [05:08]
  • “Engagement with the Iranian regime... would be a mistake. I think our focus should be centered on the people of Iran and their aspirations.” [07:36]
  • “I'm proud, I'm exhilarated, but I'm scared about the loss of life and also about the very real possibility that if this regime falls, there's no guarantee that something better would automatically replace it.” [08:57]

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Key Takeaways

• The latest protests in Iran are uniquely broad, persistent, and fired by combined political and economic frustration.
• Crackdowns have been deadly, but the resolve among protestors persists.
• Meaningful U.S. support should focus less on regime engagement or military options and more on empowering Iranian society, safeguarding open communication, and learning from voices inside Iran.
• For exiles like Rezaian, this moment brings the first real hope in years—mixed with caution over possible outcomes and concerns about enduring exile.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00–01:13 — Firsthand protest account from Tehran
• 01:24–02:14 — Context: Violence, U.S. response, global perspective
• 04:06–05:30 — Rezaian explains why these protests feel “electrifying” and different
• 05:30–08:04 — Criticism of U.S. policy, recommendations for better support
• 08:04–09:52 — Reflections on exile, pride and anxiety

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For further analysis and original audio, listen to the episode on NPR’s platforms.

Transcript

[Juana Summers]

Yousef Yazdi is a professor of biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. He is also the son of Iranian parents. Over the holidays, he went to visit his mother in Tehran.

[Yousef Yazdi]

In the neighborhood where my mother's house is, there is a large square there and a large group.

[Juana Summers]

He was telling NPR's Steve EnSKEEP about his experience.

[Yousef Yazdi]

There was about 2, 300 young people, mainly a few older folks like me, and then mostly younger people. And they're very peaceful, chanting slogans, mostly, you know, death to the dictator.

[Juana Summers]

A few people, maybe five, he estimates, were more active in leading the chants.

[Yousef Yazdi]

And they pulled some pavers up from the sidewalk and started throwing them at the riot police. And then the riot police responded with tear drops.

[Juana Summers]

At this point, Yousef Yazdi made what he called a mistake.

[Yousef Yazdi]

I made the mistake of breathing a bit through my mouth, which you kids, lesson learned, never breathe through your mouth if you're experiencing tear gas attack because your throat will burn for days. It's still kind of irritating.

[Juana Summers]

This was early in the current wave of protests. What began as demonstrations against the economic crisis have become a broader anti government movement in cities and towns across Iran.

[Yousef Yazdi]

You know, it seemed like a government that has run out of steam. I couldn't find anybody that has anything nice to say about the way things are being run, whether they're pro government or anti government.

[Juana Summers]

Iran's authoritarian government has responded with more than tear gas and batons. More than 2,500 people have been killed. That's according to the US based Human Rights activist news agency. NPR has not been able to independently verify that number. The U.S. has been weighing military responses. And according to a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly, some American military personnel are now confirmed to be leaving an air base in Qatar, a possible indication of imminent action. Those who watch Iran are watching nervously, if somewhat optimistically. People like Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian.

[Jason Rezaian]

I fear that many more people will be hurt and killed between now and whenever the regime does fall.

[Juana Summers]

The current round of protests in Iran feels different. Could they lead to real and lasting change? From npr, I'm Juana Summers.

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[Juana Summers]

It's Consider this from NPR when there's big news from Iran, we often reach out to Jason Rezaian. He was the Washington Post's correspondent in Tehran in 2014 when he was imprisoned by the Iranian government and later released during the nuclear deal negotiations. He's now the director of Press Freedom Initiatives at the Washington Post, and his op ed this week is titled I've Waited for this Electrifying Moment in Iran for 10 years. Jason Rezaian, welcome back to the program.

[Jason Rezaian]

Thanks for having me, Warren.

[Juana Summers]

I want to start with this. You've written that for the first time since leaving Iran in 2016, you're now allowing yourself to feel hope that one day you might return. Tell us what feels different about this moment from moments of protest that you've seen in the past?

[Jason Rezaian]

I think what we see, Juana, is that the velocity between protest movements in Iran is quickening. If you think back to 2009 and the green movement that followed the contested re election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then there were protests in 2017, 18, 19 that were much more regional in scope around economic discontent. Then in 2022, the Woman Life Freedom movement, that was arguably the biggest protest movement in Iran to date. Everyone was supporting each other in this very basic demand that we want a freer, more open society where people's rights are protected and guaranteed. And at the same time we want a better financial future. And I think the regime has not been able to respond to those very clear demands. They don't have a plan to do so. And and at this point in time, it seems like the expiration date of this nearly 50 year old system is quickly approaching.

[Juana Summers]

I want to ask you, Jason, historically, as you see it, where has the US Gone wrong when it thinks about change in Iran?

[Jason Rezaian]

I think we've gotten it wrong for a lot of different reasons, but one of them is that we've rarely followed through on the things that we have promised to do. We talk a lot right now about the Internet shutdown and blackout and it's not just the Internet, it's even landline telephones. We haven't been able to communicate with anybody inside Iran since a week ago today. Iranians should be able to access the Internet, and there are ways to keep people online. Congress needs to vote on that. White House needs to put in an executive order around it. And also finding touch points with Iranian civil society. The truth is that there are very few people in Washington or other global capitals that have relevant recent experience inside of Iran. And there are quite a lot of dissidents who have either left Iran in recent years or we're still on the ground and willing to communicate their positions. We should be leaning on them to better understand the dynamics inside the country and how we can be most supportive.

[Juana Summers]

Yeah, I want to push on that a little bit. I mean, I've heard you made the argument, and you make it in your piece as well, that the US Needs to stop listening to the same voices in Washington and begin to build bridges with people inside Iran. If there is one shift in thinking you would like to see from US Policymakers right now, what would that be?

[Jason Rezaian]

I have always been somebody who's incredibly pro engagement. I don't think of diplomacy as a weakness. I think of it as a strength, especially when you wield the type of firepower and influence in the world the United States does. And I think talking to our adversaries is very important. That doesn't mean acquiescing to their demands or giving in to them. And I think, you know, engagement with the Iranian regime right now, especially around the nuclear program, would be a mistake. I think our focus should be centered on the people of Iran and their aspirations. A stable Iran with an open economy and an open society that has the territorial integrity in the same borders that we know right now would be in the region's interest and would be in the United States of America's interest.

[Juana Summers]

Jason, this week marks 10 years since you were released from prison. You were forced to leave Iran. When you look at what is happening there right now, how does that anniversary shape how you're taking in and watching this moment?

[Jason Rezaian]

Juana it's hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that my wife and I have been out of Iran for 10 years. It's incredibly heartbreaking to me for her that she was very unceremoniously jettisoned and exiled from her homeland and hasn't been able to return and may not be able to do so for the foreseeable future. But for us, at this moment, while we watch the struggle of Iranian people and the fearlessness and the clarity with which they're standing up and demanding a new way forward and at the same time, the brutal repression of the Islamic regime to kind of silence those demands. It's an incredibly mixed set of emotions. I'm proud, I'm exhilarated, but I'm scared about the loss of life and also about the very real possibility that if this regime falls, there's no guarantee that something better would automatically replace it. And I think that that is a very strange thing to say after all of these years. I had hoped and wished we'd be much further along in these conversations 10 years ago than we actually are.

[Juana Summers]

Jason Rezaian is the director of press freedom initiatives at the Washington Post and the paper's former correspondent in Tehran. Jason, thank you.

[Jason Rezaian]

Thanks, Juana.

[Juana Summers]

This episode was produced by Lena Muhammad with engineering support from Ted Mebane. It was edited by Patrick Jaranwattanan and Courtney Dorting. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's consider this from npr. I'm Juana Summers.

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