Economist Podcasts No middle ground: Iran’s dangerous division
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Jan 29, 2026 
Nick Pelham, Middle East correspondent for The Economist, gives on-the-ground reporting from Iran. He discusses the country’s sharp split into regime supporters and royalist returnists. He describes why protests turned bloodier and the roles — or absences — of key leaders. He assesses the risks of foreign intervention and possible scenarios if Iran’s leadership falls.
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Country Splits Into Two Camps
- Iranians increasingly describe the situation as a quiet civil war rather than protests.
- Society is fracturing into two camps: the regime and royalists seeking the Shah's return.
Mutual Accusations And Militarisation
- Both regime supporters and royalists favour hierarchical rule and distrust each other.
- Each accuses the other of hiring foreign mercenaries and increasingly talk of arming to win.
Figureheads But Not Field Commanders
- Both symbolic figureheads, Khamenei and Reza Pahlavi, are present but not commanding events.
- Ground operations are run by others who claim to act for those figures, reducing centralized control.