The Take Another Take: What is Iran’s right to resist regime change?
18 snips
Mar 7, 2026 
Hamid Dabashi, Columbia professor of Iranian studies and comparative literature, reflects on Iran’s deep history and political trauma. He revisits the 1953 coup, critiques claims about nuclear threats and foreign 'liberation', and argues for diplomacy and disarmament over bombing. He also discusses how attacks would strengthen hardliners, erase culture, and misunderstand Iranian agency.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Childhood Memory Of The 1953 Coup
- Hamid Dabashi recalls being a toddler during the 1953 CIA‑MI6 coup and later hearing crowds chant against Mossadegh as formative, traumatic memories.
- The street scenes with military vehicles and shouted insults crystallized a collective historical memory that still shapes Iranian responses today.
Surveillance And Double Standards On Nuclear Programs
- Dabashi argues Iran is under constant international surveillance and engaged in diplomacy, making Israel's nuclear fear rhetoric inconsistent.
- He contrasts Israel's opaque arsenal and lack of accountability with Iran's NPT signature and willingness to negotiate.
Manufactured Timelines For Iran's Bomb
- Repeated claims Iran is weeks or months from a bomb are manufactured by political ecosystems rather than hard evidence, Dabashi says.
- He ties alarmism to media and intelligence narratives that ignore which states actually possess WMDs.