What in the World Iran: How are Iranians feeling?
Mar 4, 2026
Ghoncheh Habibiazad, a BBC Persian journalist reporting from and about Iran, shares on‑the‑ground perspectives. Short scenes cover fears during blackouts, diaspora anxieties for loved ones, generational divides and anti‑Western messaging, and how recent protests reshaped public attitudes. Voices from inside and outside Iran highlight varied experiences and the enduring love many feel for home.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Diaspora Fear For Family Amid Indiscriminate Strikes
- Pouya, an Iranian living in the US, worries about friends and family in Iran and the unpredictable dangers of strikes hitting civilians.
- He says you can't tell who might be a regime operative and homes can be hit indirectly, making even ordinary neighbourhoods unsafe.
Media Access Limits Shape Who Speaks Out
- BBC Persian cannot report from inside Iran and is routinely jammed, yet it reaches about 24 million people, mostly inside Iran.
- This creates an information gap where anti-regime voices speak more to foreign outlets because talking to them is criminalised inside Iran.
Generational Cultural Divide Shapes Political Views
- Anti‑Western sentiment is institutional in Iran since 1979, but younger, anti‑establishment Iranians often have Western cultural influences.
- That cultural split helps explain differing attitudes toward the US and foreign media among generations.