Topic: Tehran

Perkins provides historical context on Iran, starting with the 1953 CIA-backed coup against democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddegh. He explains how Kermit Roosevelt used suitcases of cash to orchestrate the overthrow after Mosaddegh attempted to nationalize the oil industry. Perkins reflects on his own time in Tehran during the 1970s, realizing later that his perception of the Shah's popularity was skewed by biased translators.

Perkins shares a personal story of his narrow escape from Tehran in August 1978, just as the country began to erupt in violence following the Cinema Rex fire. He describes being warned by an old friend with ties to the Shah's military to flee to Rome. The segment concludes with a discussion on current geopolitical tensions, noting how the U.S. often uses narratives of "liberation" and "weapons of mass destruction" to justify intervention.

Perkins reflects on the dramatic cultural shift in Iran from the liberal Pahlavi era to the conservative rule of the Mullahs. He speculates on the domestic political implications of a potential war with Iran, suggesting that a conflict involving China could lead to the invocation of a War Emergency Act. Such a scenario, he posits, might be used as a justification for a president to seek a third term despite the 22nd Amendment.

Zen Gardner recounts his experience living in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution while his wife was nine months pregnant. He contrasts the community cohesion following the Northridge earthquake with the terrifying isolation and survival mode triggered by a total societal breakdown under martial law.

On September 19, 1976, an Iranian Air Force pilot attempted to intercept a dazzlingly bright UFO over Tehran. The object successfully disabled the weapons systems of the pilot's U.S.-made F-4 Phantom aircraft during a high-altitude pursuit. Researchers Barry Greenwood and Larry Fawcett have confirmed the existence of a massive, classified file on the incident that the U.S. government refuses to release.