Newt’s World – Episode 937: Iran

Host: Newt Gingrich
Guest: Alireza Jafarzadeh, Deputy Director, U.S. office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
Date: January 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the ongoing unrest in Iran, exploring the triggers behind the latest wave of nationwide protests, the evolving demands of the protesters, the regime’s brutal crackdown, and the role of the organized resistance—particularly the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq). Newt Gingrich and his long-time collaborator, Alireza Jafarzadeh, discuss the historical, social, and political dynamics fueling the uprising, regime survival strategies, and what the U.S. and global community should—and should not—do in response.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Spark and Spread of Protests

• Economic Collapse as the Immediate Catalyst

  • The collapse of Iran’s Ayenda Bank wiped out millions’ savings, catalyzing widespread discontent ([02:06], Jafarzadeh).
  • Long-term economic decay and hyperinflation have created a deeply “explosive” society.

    “Just a few years after the ayatollahs came to power… to get a dollar, you had to provide 80 riyals. Right now you have to provide one and a half million riyals to get the dollar… Things are getting worse.” ([02:28], Jafarzadeh)

• From Economic Grievances to Anti-Regime Demands

  • Protesters’ demands escalated from economic relief to calls for the “overthrow of the Islamic Republic.”
  • Protest slogans unified across classes: “death to the dictator, death to Khamenei… death to the oppressor, be it the shah or the supreme leader.” ([03:53], Jafarzadeh)

• A Broad-based Movement

  • This round of protests saw the critical inclusion of small business owners (the bazaar), long-time regime supporters, shifting sides publicly for the first time ([04:30], Gingrich; [04:48], Jafarzadeh).
  • The protests quickly spread to all 31 provinces, involving “the poor, workers, students, and the deprived.”

Regime Crackdown and the Role of the Resistance

• State Response: Violence and Information Blackout

  • The regime responded with mass arrests, shootings, and shutting down the Internet to hinder organization and suppress news ([06:27], Gingrich).

  • “Eyewitnesses say government forces have begun opening fire on unarmed protesters, killing more than 3,000 people across the country since the protests began.” ([00:54], Gingrich)

• Organization on the Ground

  • The MEK’s “resistance units,” primarily of young people, have provided organizing capacity independent of the Internet ([05:14], Jafarzadeh).
  • Despite regime efforts, the opposition’s alternative communications kept protest momentum alive.

• Human Cost and Resilience

  • At least 3,000 protestors killed and 50,000 arrested—many of them young, including members of the MEK ([08:08], Jafarzadeh).
  • Notable names: Zahra Bohlulipur (18, killed in Tehran), Reza Gambarian (17, Kermanshah), Rasuleh Kadivarian (17, Kermanshah).

    “This is a generation that has no fear because they have nothing to lose, but they have a lot to gain. The prospect for change is so powerful. The message of freedom is so powerful.” ([09:53], Jafarzadeh)

• Repression as Regime DNA

  • Violence is foundational to the regime’s survival, dating back to Khomeini’s mass executions of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988, mainly MEK members ([11:13-13:36], Gingrich & Jafarzadeh).

    “If the regime gives up killings and declares that there will be no killings even for one day, this regime cannot survive.” ([11:42], Jafarzadeh)
    “People don’t appreciate that this is the core of the dictatorship. They can't function without fear.” ([13:07], Gingrich)

International (and U.S.) Responses

• Iran’s Hostility to the West

  • Regime leaders persistently chant "Death to America, death to Israel, death to the MEK" at parliament and religious gatherings ([16:09], Jafarzadeh).
  • Western incomprehension or appeasement emboldens the dictatorship.

    “As a historian, I'm inclined to think that when guys chant Death to your country, they probably mean Death to your country.” ([15:27], Gingrich)

• Dynamics in the Middle East

  • Some regional powers (Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) are reportedly urging the U.S. not to intervene, with terrorism cited as a perennial Iranian tool for regional manipulation ([18:07-18:38], Gingrich & Jafarzadeh).
  • The regime is considerably weaker now, with former ally regimes in Syria and Venezuela gone, and nuclear projects exposed or hampered by the MEK’s network.

• What the U.S. Should—and Shouldn’t—Do

  • No calls for military intervention; instead, focus on:

    • Denying the regime financial resources and legitimacy
    • Holding officials accountable for terror, nuclear violations, and crimes against humanity
    • International recognition of Iranians’ right to resist ([19:47-21:35], Jafarzadeh)

      “All we are saying is… deny the regime the resources, don't give them money, don't give them legitimacy…help regime change in Iran by the people of Iran…recognize the right of those on the ground who are fighting the regime.” ([19:54], Jafarzadeh)

  • Supporting pluralistic, democratic initiatives—such as Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point platform for a secular, free, inclusive, non-nuclear Iran ([25:35], Jafarzadeh).

  • Rejecting “Going Back”

    • There is no public appetite for return to the Shah’s monarchy:

      “He is totally irrelevant to the affairs of the country. He only represents his deposed father, a dictatorship… You don't want to go that route.” ([26:39], Jafarzadeh)

Is the Regime Near Collapse?

• Why This Uprising Feels Different

  • The current protest wave builds on lessons from previous uprisings (notably after Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022), but is more organized, confrontational, and focused on regime change ([22:33-25:32], Jafarzadeh).

    “This time…it quickly became a scene of confrontation… Not just protests, not just opposing the regime, but confrontation between the younger people and the Revolutionary Guards and the state Security forces.” ([22:54], Jafarzadeh)

  • Each wave strengthens the resistance, making the regime’s old methods less effective.

• On the Dictatorship’s Staying Power

  • While the regime retains firepower, the will of “a nation that has decided to fight… makes a huge difference,” especially with international endorsement ([29:15], Jafarzadeh).

    “The problem is not guns, because you can obtain guns in Iran. And that's what they're doing. People on the ground. It's just the outside world recognizing their right.” ([29:28], Jafarzadeh)

• A Note of Optimism

  • Jafarzadeh is “absolutely” optimistic change is near, focusing on the younger population’s tenacity, a now organized opposition, and a weakened regime. He draws parallels with the odds faced by America’s founders ([30:28-31:49], Jafarzadeh).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Spread of Protest:

  “This used to be the bedrock of support for the ayatollahs… When they stand up and raise their concerns… you know things are very troubling for the regime.”
  —Alireza Jafarzadeh ([03:18])

• On MEK’s Organizational Resilience:

  “Our movement, the network inside Iran, is not relying only on the Internet. And actually most of it is done in other ways… So even though [shutting down the Internet] couldn't really help much, the regime to slow down the process, but it did help them from getting the information out.”
  —Alireza Jafarzadeh ([06:42])

• On the Iranian Youth:

  “This is a generation that has no fear because they have nothing to lose, but they have a lot to gain.”
  —Alireza Jafarzadeh ([09:53])

• On Regime Survival:

  “If the regime gives up killings… this regime cannot survive. Since day one, they have thrived on two pillars: repression and killings inside Iran, and export of terrorism.”
  —Alireza Jafarzadeh ([11:42])

• On American (and Western) Naivety:

  “As a historian, I'm inclined to think that when guys chant Death to your country, they probably mean Death to your country.”
  —Newt Gingrich ([15:27])

• On the Potential for Regime Collapse:

  “What I'm looking at and I'm counting on is especially the younger generation in Iran… The regime is much weaker. The momentum internationally is shifting… that's the only way I can think of that change is going to come to Iran.”
  —Alireza Jafarzadeh ([30:35])

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• Protests' trigger and background: [02:06]–[05:08]
• Role of the MEK and resistance organization: [05:14]–[07:00]
• Human cost—deaths, arrests, crackdown: [07:45]–[09:53]
• Historical brutality and foundations of the regime: [11:13]–[13:36]
• ‘Death to America’ analysis and international (mis)understandings: [15:27]–[18:07]
• Advice for U.S. and international involvement: [18:38]–[21:35]; detailed at [25:35]–[28:54]
• Comparison to previous uprisings (Mahsa Amini, 2022): [22:33]–[25:32]
• Why the dictatorship is vulnerable now: [29:15]–[31:49]

Conclusion

Alireza Jafarzadeh and Newt Gingrich present a compelling narrative of a regime increasingly isolated from its population and a grassroots opposition gaining capability and momentum. Their analysis underscores that Iran’s road to democracy and freedom must be paved by domestic forces, but that international support—especially political and moral encouragement, not military boots—is critical for success.

For more information on the National Council of Resistance of Iran: ncris.org

Notable thanks:
Alireza Jafarzadeh credits Newt Gingrich’s decades of support for Iranian freedom, closing on hope for a future meeting "in a free Iran." ([32:30], Jafarzadeh)