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Intelligence Squared · 2025-11-03 · 31 min · 5,466 words

What was the Iranian Revolution really about? With Scott Anderson

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Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet. I'm producer Mia Serenti. On today's episode, foreign reporter and war correspondent Scott Anderson joins us to discuss his new book, King of Kings, a gripping account of the fall of the Shah of Iran, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the rise of the Islamic Republic. Together with our host Hannah Lucinda Smith, he explores how the West misread the signs of the revolution, the forces that toppled the Shah, and how those events continue to shape Iran and the Middle East today. Let's join our host, Hannah, now with more.

Welcome to Intelligence Squared. I'm Hannah Lucinda Smith. Our guest today is Scott Anderson, a veteran foreign reporter and war correspondent and a contributing writer for The New York Times. Over his career, he's reported from Bosnia, Libya, Palestine, and across the Middle East. His new book, King of Kings, is a gripping account of the fall of the Shah of Iran, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.

Welcome to Intelligence Squared, Scott. Thanks so much, Hannah. It's my pleasure to be here. So, although your book focuses on the people around the Shah, he's very much the subject of the book. Why did you decide to write about Reza Pahlavi and why now?

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