Podcast Summary: The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

Episode: Is the Iranian regime about to fall?
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Yalda Hakim (Sky News) and Richard Engel (NBC) focus on the explosive situation unfolding in Iran, where mass protests, a total internet blackout, and threats of external intervention indicate a critical moment for the Iranian regime. Drawing on their frontline reporting and sources inside Iran, the hosts discuss whether the regime is truly at risk of collapse, the impact of international actors—especially the United States under President Trump—and the remarkable role of technology in circumventing state repression. The episode also features a powerful interview with Shervin Pishevar, an Iranian-American tech investor instrumental in smuggling Starlink units to Iranian protesters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Iran on the Brink

• Richard opens with breaking news: US forces have recently moved against Venezuela, but attention is now focused on the unfolding mass protests in Iran amid a government-ordered internet blackout.
• Yalda underscores the scale: Tens of thousands are on the streets. Both the death toll and the number of arrests continue to climb [00:41].
• Quote [01:05]:

  “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before. They won't even believe it. I have options that are so strong.”
  — President Trump (Richard quoting Trump)

2. How Did We Get Here? Iran’s Economic Collapse & Social Unrest

• Protests started among the bazaaris (merchants/market class) due to crippling inflation, unpaid wages, and soaring prices—worsening since the 1979 Revolution [04:45 - 07:00].

• The regime’s response: Initially attempted talks but quickly cracked down, blaming agitation on foreign actors like Israel and the US.

• Yalda’s observation [05:25]:

  “It wasn't just those, the elites who are anti regime … even the price of a loaf of bread was so expensive for the average Iranian person.”

• Richard’s reflection on reporting in Iran:

  “People just didn’t have any money… I would go to the Grand Bazaar… and there was nobody there. Even if you wanted to buy something, they couldn’t take currency, you couldn’t use a credit card... It affects the rich, the poor, the middle class. And the government’s response is ‘Death to America, Death to America,’ but people say, ‘Yeah, we’ve heard that, but we can’t buy anything. We can do better than this.’” [07:27]

3. Can the Regime Survive? The Question of Military Loyalty

• Yalda draws parallels to other uprisings: In Egypt during the Arab Spring, the army split from the leader, refusing to shoot protestors. That’s never happened in Iran, not even during uprisings in 2009, 2019, or 2022 [08:52 - 09:42].

  “We have not seen defections… not from the top, not from the middle, not from the bottom.” [09:40]

• The power of the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militia is immense—estimated at over a million including reservists—and they remain loyal.

4. Misconceptions About Regime Change: Iran Is Not Venezuela

• Richard emphasizes Iran’s complexity—geographically, historically, and socially [11:10]:

  "This is not Venezuela. Don't think that a couple of Delta Force guys are gonna go in, they're gonna snatch the supreme leader of Iran, and President Trump is gonna declare victory."

• Yalda: Even Gulf States may not support the use of their territory for US strikes, recalling the fallout of regime change in Iraq [12:07].

5. Crash Course on Iran’s Modern Political History

• Richard provides a concise history lesson [13:03 - 17:59]:
  • The British, then Americans, dominated Iran’s oil economy.
  • The 1953 coup by CIA/MI6 ousted the popular Mossadegh after he nationalized oil, reinstating an absolute monarchy.
  • The 1979 Islamic Revolution toppled the autocratic Shah, leading to four decades of theocratic rule.
  • Quote [17:14]:

    “There is a whole new generation of Iranians who are out on the streets right now who are saying ‘This system didn’t work. This experiment where we’re going to live as a theocracy didn’t work. We’ve been cut off. We have no money. These people are hypocrites.’”

• Raises the open question: If the regime collapses, what replaces it? Monarchy? Democracy? Fragmentation?

6. The Information War: Smuggling Starlink into Iran

• Starlink as a tool for protestors: Despite government efforts to isolate the populace, images and video of the protests make it out via Starlink satellite units [18:34].

  “If you have one of these Starlink units… you can get your message out.” — Richard [18:52]

• Exclusive interview with Shervin Pishevar [19:44 - 24:58]:
  • Pishevar was key to getting Starlink units to Iranian activists, building on lessons from previous uprisings in the region.
  • Quote [20:03]:

    “The Iranian people have shown unbelievable courage. They are the brave hearts of our time … laying down their lives, spilling their blood for their freedom. They’ve been living in an open air prison for 47 years and they’ve had enough.”

  • Pishevar describes covertly smuggling tens of thousands of Starlinks into Iran via northern Iraq and Dubai [24:28 - 24:36].
  • Protesters are trained to avoid detection and evade government jamming [24:58].

7. Brutality, Forced Confessions, and the Scale of the Movement

• The regime is broadcasting forced confessions on state TV, attempting to paint activists as foreign agents and traitors, but the messaging is not convincing many [26:17].

  “Anyone who’s got a Starlink, anyone who’s out on the street is a traitor. And treason... could come with the death penalty.” — Richard [27:25]

• A regional leader’s calculus on protest scale:

  "10,000 is noise. 100,000 is significant. A million changes the equation and tens of millions has the potential to overwhelm the regime. We’re not seeing that at the moment.” — Yalda [27:34]

8. What Next? The Trump Factor & Potential for Intervention

• The only variable that could break the current deadlock, according to regional observers, is a decisive move by the US [28:28].

  “Does that mean more Starlinks or does that mean bombs?” — Richard [28:35]

• The U.S. is reportedly weighing both cyber and military options. Trump has stated that continued regime violence against protestors will be met with force [29:07].

  “By all evidence that we’re able to verify and receive from the outside, it seems very clear that the government is still shooting at protesters. So A plus B could lead to military action.” — Richard

• Key concerns:

  • Is there a real plan for the day after a possible regime collapse?
  • With protests dispersed and lacking a central nucleus, could Iran split or descend into chaos?
  • Historical parallels with failed U.S. attempts at nation-building in the Middle East [29:48].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Richard Engel, on Iranian stamina:

  “After 47 years, people say, yeah, we’ve heard that, but we can’t buy anything, we can’t sell anything. We can do better than this. And maybe it’s time for a change.” [07:27]

• Yalda Hakim, on protester bravery:

  “These brave protesters go out onto the street night after night after night, risking their lives... knowing that they could potentially not go back home and go home in a body bag. And yet they continue to do it.” [09:42]

• Shervin Pishevar (tech founder):

  “They are the brave hearts of our time and they are laying down their lives, spilling their blood for their freedom... This is a revolution. This is not protests.” [20:03]

• Richard Engel, on intervention risks:

  “Hope’s not a good plan… you cook up a plan in two weeks and then implement it, that’s fast and has the potential to, I don’t know, split Iran into sections.” [30:07]

Key Timestamps

• 00:41: Protests erupt, regime blocks internet, death toll rising.
• 05:25: Economic roots of unrest; bazaaris join the streets.
• 07:27: Richard’s testimony on the dire conditions in Iran.
• 09:40: Why the Iranian military hasn’t split like in Egypt.
• 13:03 - 17:59: Richard explains a century of Iranian political history.
• 18:34: How images still make it out during the blackout: Starlink arrives.
• 19:44 - 24:58: Extended interview with Shervin Pishevar on smuggling Starlinks.
• 27:34: What scale of protest could truly threaten the regime.
• 29:07 - 31:40: What Trump might do next, and the risks of US intervention.

Conclusion

Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim frame the ongoing Iranian uprising as an unprecedented test for the 47-year-old regime, already battered by economic collapse and technological challenges to its information monopoly. International attention is focused on whether President Trump will tip the scales with direct intervention or if Iranians themselves can muster a unified and sustained challenge. The episode captures the high stakes, the risks, and the human courage driving this pivotal moment in Middle East history.

Stay tuned: The hosts signal that events in Iran are moving fast and will be the subject of ongoing coverage in future episodes.