Iran’s protests at a tipping point: Reza Pahlavi, Israel, Islam and the Arab world
Iran protests: Reza Mehman speaks personally and emotionally about events in Iran, his connections to his hometown of Rasht, what he sees as double standards among some influencers, and his hopes for Iran.
English translation of the article published on 18 January 2026, including the complete transcript. Reports from personal contacts, political opinions and hopes reflect the conversation at that time. Explanations offered for other people’s motives are the speaker’s interpretations.
Iran protests from a personal perspective
One of Reza Mehman’s most emotional podcast episodes: he talks personally about one of the largest waves of protest he has witnessed in Iran, his family in Rasht by the Caspian Sea, and people’s fear of taking to the streets. He also criticises what he sees as double standards among some influencers who spoke loudly about Palestine but remain silent about Iran. Reza is candid: at the time of this conversation, he hopes Trump will follow through on his threats and Reza Pahlavi will fly to Iran.
Summary
One-sentence version: Reza Mehman speaks personally and emotionally about the protests in Iran, his family in Rasht and his hopes for the country where he was born.
Three-sentence version: Born in Rasht, Reza has personal connections to his hometown and describes the situation as worse than news reports suggest. He criticises some influencers for speaking loudly about Palestine while remaining silent about Iran. He candidly expresses his hope, at the time of recording, that Trump will follow through on his threats and Pahlavi will fly to Iran.
Five-sentence version: Reza Mehman was born in Rasht by the Caspian Sea and maintains connections to his hometown through his parents. He describes a situation worse than news coverage suggests, with many more people killed or arrested. Some influencers’ silence about Iran, after their vocal support for Palestine, draws his criticism. He offers Iran’s support for Hamas and Hezbollah as a possible explanation. He struggles with encouraging people to protest in Iran while he is safe in Germany. At the time of the conversation, he hopes Trump will follow through on his threats and Pahlavi will fly to Iran.
Context: who, what and why
Who is speaking: Reza Mehman and Karsten Kammholz.
What the episode covers: Protests in Iran, Reza’s personal connections to Rasht, his criticism of some influencers’ double standards, and his hopes for Iran.
Why it matters: Iran is a major geopolitical issue with direct consequences for the region, Israel and the Iranian diaspora in Germany. Reza speaks as someone born in Iran who maintains personal connections to the country.
Three central questions in this episode:
- What is happening in Iran beyond what appears in the news?
- Why are some influencers who spoke loudly about Palestine silent about Iran?
- What does Reza Mehman wish for the country where he was born?
Contents
- Introduction
- Summary
- Context
- Themes and analysis
- Key points
- Frequently asked questions
- Highlights in quotes
- The complete conversation
- Keywords
- Names and terms
- Passage for quotation
Themes and analysis
1. Iran protests: what is really happening?
Reza has connections to Rasht through his parents. He describes a situation worse than news reports suggest, with far more people killed or arrested.
Keywords: Iran protests, Rasht, Caspian Sea, deaths, arrests, internet shutdown
2. Influencers and double standards
Reza criticises some influencers for speaking loudly about Palestine while remaining silent about Iran. He offers the Iranian regime’s funding of Hamas and Hezbollah as a possible explanation.
Keywords: influencers, Palestine, Iran, double standards, Hamas, Hezbollah, silence
3. Fear in Germany
The article cites the case of Reza Shari from Mannheim, describing his arrest after travelling to Iran following participation in Iran-related demonstrations. The point is that fear also affects people living in Germany.
Keywords: Reza Shari, Mannheim, arrest, Iran, fear, diaspora
4. Reza’s moral dilemma
Reza finds it difficult to encourage others to take to Iran’s streets while he is safe in Germany.
Keywords: dilemma, Germany, safety, streets, protest, family
5. What does Reza hope for Iran?
At the time of the conversation, he candidly hopes Trump will follow through on his threats and Pahlavi will fly to Iran.
Keywords: Trump, Reza Pahlavi, Iran, hope, regime change
Key points from the discussion
- Reza Mehman was born in Rasht by the Caspian Sea.
- He describes the situation in Iran as worse than news reports suggest, with many more people killed or arrested.
- The article quotes a hope expressed in his circle: “Hopefully Trump will attack. Hopefully the government will soon be gone.”
- He criticises some influencers for speaking loudly about Palestine while remaining silent about Iran.
- His proposed explanation relates to the Iranian regime’s funding of Hamas, Hezbollah and other proxies.
- He describes Iran as one of the world’s most oil-rich countries, but says the money does not reach its people.
- The article cites Reza Shari from Mannheim as someone arrested after travelling to Iran following participation in Iran-related demonstrations.
- Reza struggles with encouraging others to protest in Iran while he remains safe in Germany.
- At the time of recording, he hopes Trump will follow through on his threats.
- Reza sees himself as both German and Iranian, and is proud of both identities.
Frequently asked questions
What is happening in Iran beyond the news reports?
Through his parents, Reza has personal contacts in Rasht by the Caspian Sea. He describes the situation as worse than news reports suggest, with many more people killed or arrested. The article refers to an internet shutdown and the fear that anyone who takes to the streets could be killed. These descriptions reflect his account at the time of the episode.
Why are some influencers silent about Iran after speaking loudly about Palestine?
Reza offers a possible explanation: the Iranian regime funds Hamas, Hezbollah and other proxies in the Middle East, and many people benefit from the current government. The article also points to fear for relatives in Iran, citing the case of Reza Shari from Mannheim, who it describes as being arrested after participation in Iran-related demonstrations. These are explanations offered in the discussion, not verified motives for any individual influencer.
What does Reza Mehman hope for Iran?
At the time of the conversation, Reza hopes Trump will follow through on his threats and Pahlavi will fly to Iran. He believes that would be the right move. At the same time, he struggles with encouraging people to take to the streets in Iran while he is safe in Germany.
Does Reza Mehman see himself as Iranian or German?
He sees himself as both and is proud of both identities. For him, Iranian hospitality and the solidarity of Germany’s social market economy matter: “If I am stronger than you, I help you — that is what Germans do.” He was born in Iran, but Germany is his home.
Highlights in quotes
“Right now, I hope Trump follows through on his threats.”
— Reza Mehman, speaking at the time of the episode
“I do not feel good about encouraging others to take to the streets in Iran while I am in a safe haven like Germany.”
— Reza Mehman
“The oil is extracted there. But the money does not reach the Iranian people. Where does it go? To all of Iran’s proxies.”
— Reza Mehman
“I am just as proud to say I am German, because in my view Germans also have a very solid set of values.”
— Reza Mehman
“If I am stronger than you, I help you — that is what Germans do.”
— Reza Mehman on German values
The complete conversation
Introduction: a difficult episode
Reza Mehman:
Today’s episode is not particularly pleasant in terms of its subject matter, to be honest. I thought about it for a long time and also asked you whether we should talk about it: Iran. We are in the middle of one of the biggest waves of protest I have personally witnessed. As of today, the US has not attacked Iran, or liberated it, however you want to see it. I also thought for a long time about whether I could even talk about it. It weighs very heavily on me. I was born in Iran. You can probably tell that quite quickly from the name Reza.
Personal connections to home
Karsten Kammholz:
Are you hearing more? Do you have personal contacts in the country through whom you can learn more?
Reza Mehman:
Through my parents, I do have connections to family and relatives in our hometown of Rasht. Rasht is by the Caspian Sea, roughly 250 kilometres from Tehran. When the phone works, we hear a little about how bad the situation actually is. I think Tehran is naturally where the most is happening. But in our hometown there have also been many protests, and above all a great deal of fear. Everyone knows that if they go out into the streets, they could simply be murdered now. Far more people have been killed than the news reports show.
Influencers and double standards
Reza Mehman:
There are some activists who have been extremely vocal about other issues, such as Palestine. Those people were very loud. And now, on Iran, there has not been a single statement from them. One theory, for example, is that Iran — unfortunately, the current Iranian government — is one of the governments or groups that fund extreme fundamentalists such as Hamas, Hezbollah and so on. That means a large group of people in the Middle East benefits from the current Iranian government. There is also the question of our being one of the most oil-rich countries on earth, with the third-largest reserves. The oil is extracted there. But the money does not reach the Iranian people. Where does it go? To all of Iran’s proxies, which are being financed through it.
Reza’s moral dilemma
Reza Mehman:
But I also find it difficult to take to the streets here to call for a government to fall and to encourage other people. I do not feel good about encouraging others to take to the streets in Iran while I am in a safe haven like Germany. Perhaps there is another Reza Mehman there, with two children and a family at home. He should not really be going out into the streets, because he should be looking after his family. I also struggle with supporting someone in that way from a distance.
What does Reza hope for Iran?
Karsten Kammholz:
What do you wish for this country now? What should happen?
Reza Mehman:
I will be completely honest: right now, I hope Trump follows through on his threats. And I think it is the right move for Reza Pahlavi to fly there and try to free the country.
German and Iranian identity
Reza Mehman:
I am just as proud to say I am German, because in my view Germans also have a very solid set of values. I think we Germans view a society based on achievement positively: the stronger person helps the weaker person. It is good that we think that way. I am not talking about the usual things, like being punctual and so on. I genuinely believe that if I am stronger than you, I help you — that is what Germans do. A few years ago, I spoke to a soldier in the US Army. He said: why should I pay for someone else’s health insurance? He did not understand it. I said: because you are healthy, and perhaps someone else has a disability and cannot manage it.
Here, it is normal: if you cannot manage right now, I help you, and you promise that if I cannot manage one day, you will help me too. I respect how deeply rooted that is. Those values do not exist everywhere in the world, which is why I am also proud to be German.
Keywords
Tags: Iran protests, tipping point, Reza Pahlavi, Shah, Trump, Rasht, Caspian Sea, diaspora, influencers’ double standards, Hamas, Hezbollah, Reza Shari, Mannheim, Reza Mehman, Karsten Kammholz
Names and terms
Reza Mehman, Karsten Kammholz, Iran, Rasht, Caspian Sea, Reza Pahlavi, Shah, Trump, Hamas, Hezbollah, Reza Shari, Mannheim, diaspora, protests, regime change, Palestine, double standards
Passage for quotation
Reza Mehman, born in Rasht, describes the situation in Iran as worse than news coverage suggests.
He criticises some influencers for speaking loudly about Palestine while remaining silent about Iran.
His proposed explanation relates to the Iranian regime’s funding of Hamas, Hezbollah and other proxies.
Reza: “I do not feel good about encouraging others to take to the streets in Iran from Germany.”
At the time of the episode, he hopes Trump will follow through on his threats and Pahlavi will fly to Iran.
Find more conversations and sources in my Iran collection.
