The broken promises of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

The broken promises of the 1979 Iranian Revolution

From Sources & Methods by NPR

June 2, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of the 1979 Iranian Revolution through the lens of ordinary Iranians and their experiences over the decades.

There's a country that was once rooted in a movement around social justice and political freedom. That country? It's Iran in 1979 during the revolution. The path from 1979, with the toppling of a monarch, through the decades of oppression and economic turmoil that followed, to this current moment, is mapped out in the book: “Stolen Revolution: Betrayal and Hope in Modern Iran.” Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with reporter and co-author Yeganeh Torbati about her new book, which follows six ordinary Iranians who -- through their lived experiences -- provide rare insight into the hopes and fears of people living from the revolution through decades of turmoil. Email the show at sourcesandmethods@npr.org NPR+ supporters hear every episode without sponsor messages and unlock access to our complete archive. Sign up at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: Mary Louise Kelly

Guest: Yeganeh Torbati

Topics covered

  • Iranian Revolution
  • social justice
  • political freedom
  • oppression
  • economic turmoil
  • personal stories

Keywords

  • Iran
  • 1979
  • revolution
  • social justice
  • political freedom
  • oppression
  • Yeganeh Torbati
  • Mary Louise Kelly

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Books & works: Stolen Revolution: Betrayal and Hope in Modern Iran

Places: Iran

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