Podcast Summary: Front Burner
Episode: “We do not want your bombs”: A View from Tehran
Host: Jayme Poisson
Date: March 11, 2026
Guest: Anonymous Iranian man (interviewee’s name withheld for safety)
Overview
This episode features a candid and poignant conversation with an anonymous man living in Tehran amid ongoing attacks attributed to the US and Israel. Host Jayme Poisson seeks to provide a raw, personal account of life under bombardment, the collective trauma, political implications, and the outsider perceptions shaping Iranian realities. The episode delves deeply into the emotional and psychological landscape of Iranians—especially families—struggling to maintain normalcy and dignity during conflict, while also challenging Western narratives about intervention and resistance.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Life in Tehran Amid Bombardment
[00:46–02:18]
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Atmosphere in the city: Streets have emptied, daily routines are disrupted, and familiar city sounds replaced by an eerie quiet.
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Quote:
“The life is on a pause at the moment. So the office that I worked in is at the moment closed. So most of the time I read and try to somehow balance the life. But otherwise, I mean, I try to somehow continue.”
—Anonymous Iranian Man [00:51] -
On the city’s transformation:
“Tehran is always busy. It’s like really crowded. But right now it’s really thin. … You can hear the birds singing. That’s the silver lining of the whole situation.”
[01:48]
Civilian Suffering and the Narrative of Bombings
[02:35–05:38]
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The devastation is described as indiscriminate, with schools and residential neighborhoods bombarded, resulting in children’s deaths.
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Quotes:
“The level of devastation and the bombardment was so massive. … It is bombardment for the sake of it. There is no targets. Just like everywhere, civilians started to lose their lives.”
[01:26]“Our lives in the Middle east is just—it’s worthless, or it does not carry the same weight as a European or Westerner’s life.”
[04:34]“It’s not only repulsion and sadness. It is anger.”
[05:30]
The Psychological Toll on Families and Children
[06:23–08:44]
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Guest discusses explaining war to his young daughter, the ongoing anxiety, and the attempt to shield children from the trauma.
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Quote:
“Which is really bizarre when you see it from, from her point of view. … Why should people actually kill each other? And I do not have any answer to that.”
[06:56]“We want to live a normal life and that’s—all of a sudden a nutter in the White House decided to bomb us.”
[08:44]
Reactions from the Iranian Diaspora
[09:17–12:14]
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Discusses how some in the diaspora welcome foreign intervention, and the complexities and resentments this generates.
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Quote:
“…They are there and just want us to be bombed and call us the necessary sort of payout for their freedom. Even, even though I’m pretty sure most of them never going to come back to Europe. But they just want some sort of revenge. I don’t know, they cannot channel the anger.”
[10:03]“Asking him [Trump] to come and bomb your own country, it’s also a weird concept in its own.”
[11:16]
State of Civil Resistance in Iran
[12:14–15:03]
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Civil resistance (“Woman, Life, Freedom” movement) had made meaningful progress pre-war, especially through women’s activism, but the war has halted grassroots change.
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Quote:
“I love that way. I mean it was a peaceful way and Iranian women actually opened a lot of doors to us and shift our understanding of the situation. … but now everything is out of our control.”
[12:51]“Now after the bombardment, now we do not know even if we would have a country in a couple of months. … The violence gives way to hardliners to actually claim more, gain more grounds.”
[13:48]
The Impact of Foreign Intervention
[16:01–18:23]
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Argues that even if bombing were to stop, the threat would continue to hang over Iranian society and hardliners would use it to justify repression.
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Quote:
“The logic of violence … dictates itself to any political process that goes on inside Iran, so long as there is an outside threat, I don’t think any political process could start.”
[16:23]“So I’m not really optimistic about it unless something unforeseen comes along and changes the equilibrium.”
[17:32]
Personal Motivation and a Final Plea
[18:23–22:45]
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Guest describes his personal decision to return to Iran, his love for the country, and his opposition to both the regime and foreign intervention.
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Quote:
“We are not where we wanted to be or we desire to be, but in general, life goes on here and we achieved a lot. It’s not like we need any savior from outside. We are fighting our fight and we are trying to somehow push the country forward.”
[19:08]“We do not want your bombs. I mean, I cannot emphasize this enough. We do not want any war.”
[20:21]“[Donald Trump] doesn’t understand the complexities. He doesn’t understand the, the. The social situation. He has no idea. He’s just like a man with a large ego who wants to dictate his words to countries that have less … military power.”
[22:15]
Memorable Moments
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The comparison of lives lost:
The guest repeatedly returns to the theme that Middle Eastern lives are undervalued by the West, hauntingly personalizing the casualties discussed in media. -
The child’s question about war:
The interviewee’s struggle to answer his daughter’s simple yet profound question—“Why do people kill each other?”—captures the generational trauma being seeded by the conflict.
[06:41–07:05] -
“We do not want your bombs”:
The titular line is a direct and impassioned message from Iran to the West, asserting agency and dignity amid narratives of foreign 'liberation.'
[20:21]
Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)
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“Tehran is always busy. … Right now it’s really thin. You can hear the birds singing. That’s the silver lining of the whole situation.” — Anonymous Iranian Man [01:48]
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“I came to conclusion that our lives in the Middle east is just—it’s worthless or it does not carry the same weight as a European or Westerner’s life.” [04:34]
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“We want to live a normal life and that's—all of a sudden a nutter in the White House decided to bomb us.” [08:44]
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“The Iranian diaspora does not have a skin in it. So they are there and just want us to be bombed and call us the necessary sort of payout for their freedom.” [10:03]
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“The revolution should not necessarily be the toppling of the state, but changing the people's point of view.” [12:44]
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“Any war would push us back at least a decade. … It's not like we need any savior from outside. … We do not want your bombs.” [20:18–20:26]
Important Timestamps
- [00:46] - Daily life in war-torn Tehran
- [03:29] - On children killed by attacks
- [06:31–07:05] - Explaining war to a child
- [09:17–12:14] - Reaction to diaspora and calls for intervention
- [12:14–15:03] - Civil resistance since 2022; women's movement
- [16:01–18:23] - On the (un)likelihood of return to civil action or reform
- [18:47–22:45] - Personal motivation for staying and final message to outsiders
Tone & Language
The tone is somber, reflective, but also charged with anger and pride. The guest speaks plainly, sometimes emotionally, alternating between frustration over Western perceptions and a fierce assertion of Iranian agency. Jayme Poisson maintains empathy and allows the interviewee space to express the complex emotions and realities of life under siege.
Summary for New Listeners
This episode of Front Burner offers a rare, unfiltered perspective from a civilian in Tehran living under foreign bombardment in 2026. The guest dispels myths about Iranian society, describes the psychic and social toll of war, and appeals for the West to recognize the humanity, agency, and desire for peace among ordinary Iranians. Through deeply personal anecdotes and analysis, listeners gain insight into both the brutality of war and the resilience—and resistance—of Iran’s people.
Key takeaway:
Iranians do not want to be “saved” by foreign bombs; they want the space to determine their own future, free from both autocratic rule and outside intervention.