WEBVTT - Why are there protests in Iran?

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<v Speaker 1>Already and this is the Daily This is the Dahlias.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh now it makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>Good morning, and welcome to the Daily OS. It's Tuesday,

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<v Speaker 2>the thirteenth of January. I'm Zara Sidler, I'm Emma Gillespie.

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<v Speaker 2>Irani is experiencing its largest anti government protests in years,

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<v Speaker 2>with demonstrations spreading across more than one hundred cities and

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<v Speaker 2>reports suggesting hundreds have been killed in a violent crackdown

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<v Speaker 2>by authorities. What began as economic protests have evolved into

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<v Speaker 2>a mass movement calling now for the overthrow of Iran's leadership,

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<v Speaker 2>raising questions about regional stability and potential international intervention. In

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<v Speaker 2>today's podcast, m we're going to explain how these protests

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<v Speaker 2>first started, what's happened since, and why they are so significant.

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<v Speaker 3>Zara, this is of course a really complicated but important story,

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<v Speaker 3>and I think with any news headline such as this

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<v Speaker 3>from this part of the world, there's important context that

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<v Speaker 3>we need.

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<v Speaker 1>So let's start from the beginning.

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<v Speaker 3>Can you take us back to what sparked these protests

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<v Speaker 3>in the first place.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, absolutely so. Demonstrations began on the twenty eighth of

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<v Speaker 2>December last year, So just a few weeks ago, and

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<v Speaker 2>the origin of these protests is really economic. They started

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<v Speaker 2>when shopkeepers in Tehran began protesting after Iran's currency hit

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<v Speaker 2>an all time low. Just a day later we had

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<v Speaker 2>the head of the Central Bank of Iran resign and

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<v Speaker 2>then days after that, inflation figures showed that Iran's inflation

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<v Speaker 2>had reached fifty two point six percent in December.

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<v Speaker 1>Wow, really high.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, for reference for listeners, Australia's inflation rate in

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<v Speaker 2>November was three point four percent. And so these protests

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<v Speaker 2>started as economic in nature. They were really driven by

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<v Speaker 2>shopkeepers who are known to be quite big supporters of

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<v Speaker 2>the Iranian leadership, or traditionally have been. But since they've started,

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<v Speaker 2>they've really grown in nature and they've now become about

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<v Speaker 2>protesting the Iranian Islamic regime as a whole.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, so there's initially this economic unrest that turns into

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<v Speaker 3>political unrest and protests that have now grown significantly. But

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<v Speaker 3>before we get into the political side of that, I

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<v Speaker 3>think it'd be helpful to explain a little bit about

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<v Speaker 3>how Iran's system of governance works. You've mentioned there that

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<v Speaker 3>traditionally retailer's shopkeepers have supported that government. But can you

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<v Speaker 3>explain the system itself.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I do think that that's a good place to start,

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<v Speaker 2>because it is quite complicated. So Iran has been an

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<v Speaker 2>Islamic republic since a revolution in nineteen seventy nine. So

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<v Speaker 2>on the back of a popular uprising, Iran's US backed

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<v Speaker 2>monarchy that was the Shah was overthrown and instead a

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<v Speaker 2>conservative religious leader at the time, Ayatolla Khmani, became the

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<v Speaker 2>country's Supreme leader, and so that was a very big change.

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<v Speaker 2>Iran prior to the revolution had been fairly westernized. As

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<v Speaker 2>I said, the US was fairly involved. But after and

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<v Speaker 2>post nineteen seventy nine that really changed. The regime under

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<v Speaker 2>the Ayatola opposed the westernization of Iran and imposed a

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<v Speaker 2>conservative Islamic morality on the country. It established the Morality Police,

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<v Speaker 2>so that did things like imposed rules around behavior and

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<v Speaker 2>dressed standards for example. And then in nineteen eighty nine,

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<v Speaker 2>the former Supreme leader died and he was replaced by

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<v Speaker 2>Ayatola ale Khmani, who is still in power today at

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<v Speaker 2>the age of eighty six. And so today we have Kimiani,

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<v Speaker 2>who has oversight over most aspects of Iranian life and

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<v Speaker 2>Iranian decision making, though there is also a president who

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<v Speaker 2>sits under the Supreme Leader. So there is a government,

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<v Speaker 2>but then there is the religious rule of I run

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<v Speaker 2>and that is the Republic of Iran.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, So that political structure that was imposed in nineteen

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<v Speaker 3>seventy nine exists today, one of.

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<v Speaker 1>Islamic conservative religious law.

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<v Speaker 3>You said, the protests have grown to become about this

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<v Speaker 3>regime at large. So what started as an economic protest

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<v Speaker 3>has evolved into being more political.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you mean by that?

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, So if the nucleus was this economic unrest, it's

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<v Speaker 2>sort of just broadened into this mass discontent, this mass

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<v Speaker 2>movement against Iran's leadership. And so now we have protesters,

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<v Speaker 2>as I said at the top, across one hundred cities

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<v Speaker 2>participating in demonstrations to try and call for the overthrow

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<v Speaker 2>of Iran's leadership. Protesters have been reportedly chanting things like

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<v Speaker 2>death to Hamani and death to the dictator, as well

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<v Speaker 2>as messages of support for the ousted monarchy that I

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<v Speaker 2>told you about before. Shah now Reza Pahlavi, who is

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<v Speaker 2>the son of Iran's former Shah, has been very vocal

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<v Speaker 2>throughout this time. He has urged protesters to keep going,

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<v Speaker 2>and in a post on social media, he said the

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<v Speaker 2>goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centers.

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<v Speaker 2>So he is in exile, he is not in Iran,

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<v Speaker 2>but even then he's calling for this movement. He's calling

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<v Speaker 2>for this uprising to continue. I do just want to add,

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<v Speaker 2>in case people feel like they are familiar with this

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<v Speaker 2>idea of protests in Iran, that there were very sizeable

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<v Speaker 2>protests back in twenty twenty two that happened after a

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<v Speaker 2>twenty two year old woman, Masa Amini was killed by

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<v Speaker 2>the regimes morality police for not wearing her hijab. And

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<v Speaker 2>while those mass protests I would say focused on the

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<v Speaker 2>morality police and on women's rights, these protests are now

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<v Speaker 2>really just targeting the regime at large and its stability.

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<v Speaker 3>Really yeah, I'm sure a lot of our listeners would

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<v Speaker 3>remember the Masa Amini protests and that might have been

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<v Speaker 3>the first time any young audiences here in Australia learnt

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<v Speaker 3>about the regime At the time, the response was a

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<v Speaker 3>violent one.

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<v Speaker 1>Given we are.

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<v Speaker 3>Now seeing a new wave of significant anti government protests,

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<v Speaker 3>how has the response been from Iran, from Iranian officials

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<v Speaker 3>on the ground this time.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, so like last time, there has been a violent

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<v Speaker 2>crackdown on protesters. I will just say before I talk

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<v Speaker 2>about death tolls, that it is very difficult to ascertain

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<v Speaker 2>a single death toll. That's for a number of reasons,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'll get into why in a moment. But one source,

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<v Speaker 2>the Human Rights Activists News Agency, has said that at

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<v Speaker 2>least five hundred people have been killed since the protests began,

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<v Speaker 2>with more than ten thousand people arrested. Again, we're talking

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<v Speaker 2>about a two week window here, But the reason that

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<v Speaker 2>we can't really get a lot of information is because

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<v Speaker 2>local authorities last Thursday cut off all internet access and

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<v Speaker 2>phone lines in the country, and so essentially Iran has

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<v Speaker 2>been cut off from the rest of the world, and

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<v Speaker 2>among a host of things, that has meant that we

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<v Speaker 2>aren't getting a whole lot of reliable information from the ground.

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<v Speaker 2>And so I would just say that there is a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of different reporting on those death tolls, and with

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<v Speaker 2>Iranian authorities not confirming a single toll, it's difficult to

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<v Speaker 2>really verify that number. But we have heard from the

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<v Speaker 2>Center for Human Rights in Iran, that's a group based

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<v Speaker 2>in New York, who said in a statement, a massacre

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<v Speaker 2>is unfolding the world must act now to prevent further

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<v Speaker 2>loss of life. We've had Iran's president call the protesters

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<v Speaker 2>rioters and terrorists who behead and kill people, while we've

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<v Speaker 2>had the Supreme Leader say that protesters are acting to

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<v Speaker 2>please the president of the US.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, so I'm interested in understanding then this link to

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<v Speaker 3>the US. Obviously, we're talking about the Iranian economy, Iranian

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<v Speaker 3>political unrest, the Supreme Leader, the regime specifically in Iran.

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<v Speaker 1>So what does that have to do with America.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's a good question. I think in its most

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<v Speaker 2>simplest form, Iran and the US are enemies, for lack

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<v Speaker 2>of a better term, and have been since the revolution

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<v Speaker 2>in nineteen seventy nine. But in this specific context, Donald

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<v Speaker 2>Trump has become involved in the local protests. So on

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<v Speaker 2>the third of January, a few days into this current protest,

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<v Speaker 2>Donald Trump posted to x that if Iran quote violently

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<v Speaker 2>kills peaceful protesters, the US will come to their rescue.

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<v Speaker 2>He added, we are locked and loaded and ready to go.

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<v Speaker 2>Since then, he's been pictured wearing a hat that reads

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<v Speaker 2>make Iran Great Again. So he weighed in pretty soon

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<v Speaker 2>after these protests began.

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<v Speaker 1>Basically threatening US involvement. Correct.

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<v Speaker 2>So in response to this, in a letter to the

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<v Speaker 2>UN Security Council, the Iranian UN ambassador said that Trump

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<v Speaker 2>had openly threatened Iran. He said that the US had

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<v Speaker 2>shown a consistent pattern of intervention and coercion, pursued under

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<v Speaker 2>the pretext of supporting the Iranian people. Then on Sunday,

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<v Speaker 2>Iran threatened to strike against US and Israeli targets if

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<v Speaker 2>the US gets involved in the situation. We had Iran's

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<v Speaker 2>parliamentary speaker say that in the case of an attack

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<v Speaker 2>on Iran, all of the US and Israeli bases and

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<v Speaker 2>ships would be a quote legitimate target.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay, So that is speaking to I suppose the relationship

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<v Speaker 3>between Israel and the US as close allies.

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<v Speaker 2>And also the fact that since the revolution, Iran has

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<v Speaker 2>committed to the destruction of the Jewish states. So there

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<v Speaker 2>has been the relationship between the US and Israel, but

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<v Speaker 2>also a separate relationship between or lack thereof, between Israel

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<v Speaker 2>and Iran, and they have traded fire as recently as

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<v Speaker 2>last year.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay.

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<v Speaker 3>So this global geopolitical context is really at the heart

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<v Speaker 3>of this story, now, Zara, and the reason why so

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<v Speaker 3>many newsrooms across the world are unpacking it, trying to

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<v Speaker 3>understand it. We've got domestic protests that really have the

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<v Speaker 3>ability to broaden and impact the global community at large.

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<v Speaker 3>The threat of all out war basically on the table

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<v Speaker 3>from some world leaders. What are other world leaders saying?

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<v Speaker 2>The majority of world leaders are really calling for restraint.

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<v Speaker 2>So we heard from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrez

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<v Speaker 2>who said he was shocked by reports of violence and

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<v Speaker 2>excessive use of force by Iranian authorities. He said that quote,

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<v Speaker 2>all Iranians must be able to express their grievances peacefully

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<v Speaker 2>and without fear, and he urged Iranian authorities to exercise

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<v Speaker 2>maximum restraint and refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.

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<v Speaker 2>And that idea was really echoed by the leaders of France,

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<v Speaker 2>Germany and the UK who said in a joint statement

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<v Speaker 2>that they strongly condemn the killing of protesters. So lots

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<v Speaker 2>of world leaders really zeroing in on these reports of

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<v Speaker 2>a violent crackdown in Iran and calling on Iranian authorities

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<v Speaker 2>to really show restraint there in terms of understanding, and

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<v Speaker 2>I guess just to go back to what you were

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<v Speaker 2>saying before understanding the impact of these protests globally. The

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<v Speaker 2>Islamic Republic currently backs and funds a number of groups

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<v Speaker 2>in the Middle East, so they back come US in Gaza,

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<v Speaker 2>Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Huthis in Yemen. And so

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<v Speaker 2>this fact alone shows why this is so significant, because

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<v Speaker 2>a destabilization of the Iranian country's leadership could have really,

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<v Speaker 2>really significant outcomes on the region at large.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, obviously tensions are incredibly high at the moment, but

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<v Speaker 3>that's some very important global context I suppose.

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<v Speaker 1>There, Zarah.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and I do just want to end on a

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<v Speaker 2>note of trying to capture the significance of the moment.

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<v Speaker 2>I did speak to an Iranian journalist, Mojta Kashani, who

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<v Speaker 2>had this to tell us.

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<v Speaker 4>Today, Iran is in the middle of a major uprising

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<v Speaker 4>and many Iranians believe it could become a revolution again

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<v Speaker 4>and again. Despite the risks, ordinary people have risen up.

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<v Speaker 4>For Uranians, this is not just about prices or politics.

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<v Speaker 4>It is a fight for dignity, freedom and a future

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<v Speaker 4>without fear. And as the streets feel even under blackout,

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<v Speaker 4>one question echoes again, is this time different?

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<v Speaker 3>Zara, Thank you so much for unpacking that for us.

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<v Speaker 3>And thank you for sharing that quote there from an

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<v Speaker 3>Iranian journalist. Some really important information and clearly this is

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<v Speaker 3>an evolving story one will continue to keep an eye

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<v Speaker 3>on here on the podcast and over on.

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<v Speaker 1>The Daily os Instagram.

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<v Speaker 3>Thanks em that's all we've got time for for today's

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<v Speaker 3>deep dive.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for joining us.

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<v Speaker 3>We'll be back a little bit later with your evening

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<v Speaker 3>news headlines, but until then, have a great day.

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<v Speaker 2>My name is Lily Madden and I'm a proud Arunda

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<v Speaker 2>Banjelung Calcultin woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges

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<v Speaker 2>Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and Torrestrate

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<v Speaker 2>island and nations. We pay our respects to the first

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<v Speaker 2>peoples of these countries, both past and present.