How has American hubris shaped Iran? With Scott Anderson

Intelligence Squared

News, Society & Culture, Arts, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 March 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Scott Anderson is a veteran foreign reporter and war correspondent, and a contributing writer for The New York Times. Over his career he has reported from Bosnia, Libya, Palestine and across the Middle East. In this episode, he spoke to host Hannah Lucinda Smith about his new book, King of Kings, a gripping account of the fall of the Shah of Iran, the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the rise of the Islamic Republic. Together, they explore the flaws that led to the Shah’s downfall, and why Western powers fundamentally misunderstood what was happening in the country in the months before the revolution. They also examine how these events shaped Iran and the Middle East today, and the political future of a country whose power has been diminished in the region, but whose population is again rallying around the flag in response to external aggression. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:43.2	It's a new workday.
0:45.1	Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where Great Minds meet.
0:49.0	I'm producer Mia Serenti.
0:51.1	In light of the recent conflict in Iran, for today's episode we're revisiting a discussion
0:55.5	with veteran foreign reporter and war correspondent Scott Anderson.
0:59.8	Anderson is considered an authority on the region and here in conversation with Hanali
1:04.0	Cinder-Smith, he offers the long view on today's developments with a gripping account of
1:08.3	the fall of the Shah, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and
1:11.8	the rise of the Islamic Republic.
1:14.5	Drawing on his book, King of Kings, Anderson sheds light of how the West previously misread
1:18.8	the signs of revolution, the forces that toppled the Shah, and how those events offer
1:22.7	crucial context to the actions of Trump and Netanyahu in Iran and the Middle East today.
1:28.1	Let's join our host, Hannah Lucinda Smith, now with more.
	...

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