How the Internet Could Help the Iranian People
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What recent events have shaped the situation in Iran?
From Wired, this is The Big Interview, where we'll get to know the people beyond the headlines in conversations that explore the intersection of technology, power, and culture. I'm Wired's Global Editorial Director, Katie Drummond. It's been nearly three months since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities and infrastructure. Gas prices are rising, traffic in the crucial Strait of Hormuz is being disrupted, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. To help us make sense of this and what could be next, I'm joined by Jason Rezaian, Director of Press Freedom Initiatives at The Washington Post. Jason has a perspective on this conflict that few others do. He's an Iranian-American, a former Tehran correspondent, and in 2014, he was detained in Iran's notorious Evin Prison, accused by the regime of being an American spy.
Jason spent nearly a year and a half in prison as world powers were embroiled in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. This year marks a decade since Jason's release in a prisoner swap. Jason, thank you so much for being here and welcome to The Big Interview.
Thanks for having me, Katie. I appreciate it.
Delighted that you're here. So let's start with the latest. We are talking on a Wednesday, about a week before this episode is going to come out. Right now, there is what I would describe, I think, as a fragile ceasefire in place. Questions remain over how long it will hold. The U.S. has not ruled out additional strikes. And there are fears, especially with Iran's latest statements, that the war could spread not only beyond its borders, beyond the borders of the Middle East. That's the big concern as it stands today. What is your sense and your interpretation of the situation right now?
I want to start by saying that we've been at some level of conflict with Iran since 1979. So we've never been at peace with the Islamic Republic. One of the first things that they did was take American diplomats and held them hostage in our embassy in Tehran. So this enmity, animosity, is not new. I think where we are right now in this ceasefire, if I had to guess, I don't think that the Trump administration, President Trump in particular, wants to attack Iran again. It seems pretty obvious to me from his statements, right? I was going to do it last night, but, you know, I got talked out of it. Changed my mind.
What unique perspective does Jason Rezaian bring to the discussion?
So, you know, I think it's pretty clear that the economic pain that we're feeling at home has changed his attitude and desire for regime change, if that was his desire in the first place. I don't think that if you asked him, he'd have a clear answer of why he got into this in the first place. That being said, I mean, I think Israel in particular, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to keep going. I think he's the wild card in this situation. And then also, the level of pain and suffering that the Iranian regime is ready to absorb and ready to force its public to absorb, I think is beyond what we imagined, right? I also don't want to conflate the people of Iran with the regime. Of course. The regime is ready to keep taking hits, to keep fighting.
They've been in a fighting posture with the United States, but with other countries for the entirety of their existence for the last 47 years. That's not to say that they want to keep fighting. I don't think it's necessarily in their long-term interest to do so. So I think we will see skirmishes. Pretty incredible that Israel and the United States were able to take out so many top layers of the Iranian leadership, both last summer and then in the strikes that started earlier this year. Maybe even more incredible, though, is that the regime has continued to function.
Well, and this is actually a question I have for you. I remember several months ago when these 2026 U.S.-Israel attacks happened. They took out the supreme leader. They made a big show of it. It was a big sort of public show of force on their part. And I remember sort of thinking, but... Surely the Iranian regime has layers upon layers of succession planning.
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