AI Summary
5 min read🎙️ The Speakers & Context
- The Format: Host-led journalistic investigation with remote interviews and expert commentary.
- The Key Players:
- Hosts: Wayland Wong and Darien Woods (NPR Planet Money team), credible for distilling complex economic stories into accessible narratives; their angle emphasizes grassroots economic signals over top-down policy.
- Key Guests: Ali (anonymous Tehran workshop owner in the Grand Bazaar), firsthand voice on small business pain; Fashid Fahedafad (Tufts University professor of civil/environmental engineering, ex-Iran dam designer); Arang Keshavarzian (NYU professor, Iran political economy expert).
- The Vibe: Investigative and reflective, blending on-the-ground reporting with historical context to unpack economic-political feedback loops.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Economic Roots of Iran's Protests**
- 2 (02:30) **Ali's Business Struggles in Grand Bazaar**
- 3 (04:00) **Bazaar Shop Closures and Protests Begin**
- 4 (05:00) **Historical and Political Power of Bazaaris**
- 5 (06:15) **Water Crisis Fuels Broader Anger**
- 6 (07:15) **University Students and Nationwide Demonstrations**
- 7 (07:50) **US Sanctions and Nuclear Focus**
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Editor's note: The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran early Saturday, Feb. 28. For current coverage click here. For background context, the story below was published on Feb. 17, 2026.
According to activists, Iran has killed over 7,000 people as part of a crackdown on protesters. Why did protests engulf Iran in the first place? A big contributor: Its flagging economy, which has been in a tailspin for years. It’s a tinderbox.
Related episodes:
Iran, protests, and sanctions
The Lost Plane
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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
According to activists, Iran has killed over 7,000 people as part of a crackdown on protesters. Why did protests engulf Iran in the first place? A big contributor: Its flagging economy, which has been in a tailspin for years. It’s a tinderbox.
Related episodes:
Iran, protests, and sanctions
The Lost Plane
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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
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