43:I[58016,["/_next/static/chunks/b5ea50e123aa84a6.js","/_next/static/chunks/050761d0d0bdc5d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/de880ec5a0241b38.js","/_next/static/chunks/48003610e91209eb.js","/_next/static/chunks/15a1b1fbd3cf7d4a.js","/_next/static/chunks/81ce7bf5f20dbd5a.js","/_next/static/chunks/86498082dde169e6.js","/_next/static/chunks/903c358828afe0bc.js","/_next/static/chunks/f63fb02bc4156bfb.js","/_next/static/chunks/88bed98e5cd5e639.js"],"ProcessEpisodeButton"] 45:I[185,["/_next/static/chunks/b5ea50e123aa84a6.js","/_next/static/chunks/050761d0d0bdc5d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/de880ec5a0241b38.js","/_next/static/chunks/48003610e91209eb.js","/_next/static/chunks/15a1b1fbd3cf7d4a.js","/_next/static/chunks/81ce7bf5f20dbd5a.js","/_next/static/chunks/86498082dde169e6.js","/_next/static/chunks/903c358828afe0bc.js","/_next/static/chunks/f63fb02bc4156bfb.js","/_next/static/chunks/88bed98e5cd5e639.js"],"SendEmailButton"] 46:I[45269,["/_next/static/chunks/b5ea50e123aa84a6.js","/_next/static/chunks/050761d0d0bdc5d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/de880ec5a0241b38.js","/_next/static/chunks/48003610e91209eb.js","/_next/static/chunks/15a1b1fbd3cf7d4a.js","/_next/static/chunks/81ce7bf5f20dbd5a.js","/_next/static/chunks/86498082dde169e6.js","/_next/static/chunks/903c358828afe0bc.js","/_next/static/chunks/f63fb02bc4156bfb.js","/_next/static/chunks/88bed98e5cd5e639.js"],"SignupCTA"] 48:I[56939,["/_next/static/chunks/b5ea50e123aa84a6.js","/_next/static/chunks/050761d0d0bdc5d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/de880ec5a0241b38.js","/_next/static/chunks/48003610e91209eb.js","/_next/static/chunks/15a1b1fbd3cf7d4a.js","/_next/static/chunks/81ce7bf5f20dbd5a.js","/_next/static/chunks/86498082dde169e6.js","/_next/static/chunks/903c358828afe0bc.js","/_next/static/chunks/f63fb02bc4156bfb.js","/_next/static/chunks/88bed98e5cd5e639.js"],"EpisodeTranscript"] 3c:["$","span",null,{"className":"inline-flex items-center gap-2 bg-secondary/50 px-3 py-1 rounded-full","children":[["$","svg",null,{"className":"w-4 h-4","fill":"none","stroke":"currentColor","viewBox":"0 0 24 24","children":["$","path",null,{"strokeLinecap":"round","strokeLinejoin":"round","strokeWidth":2,"d":"M8 7V3m8 4V3m-9 8h10M5 21h14a2 2 0 002-2V7a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v12a2 2 0 002 2z"}]}],["$","time",null,{"dateTime":"2026-03-05T08:00:55.000Z","children":"Thu Mar 05 2026"}]]}] 3d:["$","p",null,{"className":"text-base text-foreground/80 leading-relaxed","children":"Kian Tajbakhsh was working towards a more open and free society in Iran in the 2000s, when the government made it clear they weren’t open to that."}] 44:T55a,

As recent demonstrations showed, a sizable segment of the Iranian people already opposes the regime. But when President Trump told them to “take over your government,” it seems unlikely he considered how the regime responded to those protests, or other movements for a more open Iranian society.

Guest: Kian Tajbakhsh, visiting assistant professor at New York University, lecturer at Columbia University, who works on the Committee on Global Thought and in the School of International and Public Affairs.

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Next - Can Iranians Rise Up? He Already Tried