Hello, you're very welcome to Long Reeds, a Jacobin podcast where we look in depth of political topics and thinkers.

My name is Daniel Finn and the Features editor here at Jacobin and I'll be presenting the show.

As this episode was being finalised, the Trump administration was threatening to attack Iran for the second time in less than a year.

The threats come against the backdrop of mass protests inside Iran

that appear to have been repressed by the state security forces

for the time being.

Al Jazeera broadcast this report from Tehran on January 29th.

Many Iranians the famous saying you might not want war, but war wants you feels real.

After last year's attacks, war isn't hypothetical.

It's a reality they need to deal with.

If God forbid the US launches some kind of missile towards us,

it is the Islamic Republic that will give a decisive response and level their bases to the ground.

History has shown that regardless of the political system governed in the country,

whenever Iran has been attacked,

the Iranian people have defended their homeland and have not allowed it to fall into foreign hands,

no matter how many internal problems they may have.

The US threat of war adds another layer of complication to the lives of Iranians.

Economic hardships, protests where thousands were killed, and now a post-war unknown future.

I think total war is terrible.

For the post-country that they fight together, all the people of this country die.

And I think this is the terrible side of the war. So totally, I don't

not even war for any people of the Iran or in other factories.

...