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Iran Uprising 2026: Protests, Threats from Trump, and Escalation Risks
This episode was made with artificial intelligence.
Mass demonstrations in Tehran, gunfire in Kermanshah, burning barricades in Isfahan: for two weeks now, Iran has been in turmoil. Security forces are cracking down brutally on protesters, and the internet has been largely shut down. Reliable information is hard to obtain—while at the same time concerns about international escalation are growing.
In this episode of Im Krisenmodus, FUNKE crisis reporter Jan Jessen speaks with two Iran experts about the dynamics of the protests, conflicting casualty figures, the stability of the power apparatus—and the question of whether the regime is approaching a tipping point or once again proving resilient.
Opposition spokesperson Shahin Gobadi describes the situation as a revolution already underway and speaks of a new balance of power between society and the regime. Iran expert Walter Posch offers a more cautious assessment, warning against overinterpretation—and explaining why even harsh repression can become a long-term risk for the system.
The discussion also looks at the role of the United States, threats by Donald Trump, possible military options—and why many regional actors prefer stability over an uncontrolled collapse of the regime.
Guests
Shahin Gobadi
Spokesperson, National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
Opposition alliance founded in 1981 in Paris
Walter Posch
Iran specialist, Landesverteidigungsakademie Österreich (LVAk)
Institut für Friedenssicherung und Konfliktmanagement (IFK)
____
🧭 Chapter Overview
1 – Protests in Iran: What we know—and what we don’t
Internet blackout, fragmented sources, violence in the streets
2 – “Has a revolution begun?”
The opposition’s view: spread of protests, new slogans, the role of Gen Z
3 – Is the regime still holding?
Walter Posch on resilience, the security apparatus, and Pyrrhic victories
4 – Staging and counter-narratives
Pro-regime rallies, propaganda, and mobilization of the Basij and IRGC
5 – Trump, threats, and risks of escalation
Military options, symbolic strikes—and the dangerous “what comes next”
6 – Regional perspective
Why Saudi Arabia and neighboring states prefer stability to collapse
7 – What comes next?
Scenarios between stalemate, transition, and escalation—and what matters now
____
🤝 More Information
German Federal Foreign Office
Current travel and security advice for Iran
Website: auswaertiges-amt.de
📬 Contact & Feedback
Questions, criticism, suggestions? Write to us:
🟢 Subscribe NowIm Krisenmodus—available wherever podcasts are found:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Deezer | YouTube
📅 New Episodes
Every two weeks, on Wednesdays.
Im Krisenmodus is a podcast by FUNKE Media Group.
View all episodes
By Jan Jessen & Alexander Baumeister / Funke MediengruppeThis episode was made with artificial intelligence.
Mass demonstrations in Tehran, gunfire in Kermanshah, burning barricades in Isfahan: for two weeks now, Iran has been in turmoil. Security forces are cracking down brutally on protesters, and the internet has been largely shut down. Reliable information is hard to obtain—while at the same time concerns about international escalation are growing.
In this episode of Im Krisenmodus, FUNKE crisis reporter Jan Jessen speaks with two Iran experts about the dynamics of the protests, conflicting casualty figures, the stability of the power apparatus—and the question of whether the regime is approaching a tipping point or once again proving resilient.
Opposition spokesperson Shahin Gobadi describes the situation as a revolution already underway and speaks of a new balance of power between society and the regime. Iran expert Walter Posch offers a more cautious assessment, warning against overinterpretation—and explaining why even harsh repression can become a long-term risk for the system.
The discussion also looks at the role of the United States, threats by Donald Trump, possible military options—and why many regional actors prefer stability over an uncontrolled collapse of the regime.
Guests
Shahin Gobadi
Spokesperson, National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI)
Opposition alliance founded in 1981 in Paris
Walter Posch
Iran specialist, Landesverteidigungsakademie Österreich (LVAk)
Institut für Friedenssicherung und Konfliktmanagement (IFK)
____
🧭 Chapter Overview
1 – Protests in Iran: What we know—and what we don’t
Internet blackout, fragmented sources, violence in the streets
2 – “Has a revolution begun?”
The opposition’s view: spread of protests, new slogans, the role of Gen Z
3 – Is the regime still holding?
Walter Posch on resilience, the security apparatus, and Pyrrhic victories
4 – Staging and counter-narratives
Pro-regime rallies, propaganda, and mobilization of the Basij and IRGC
5 – Trump, threats, and risks of escalation
Military options, symbolic strikes—and the dangerous “what comes next”
6 – Regional perspective
Why Saudi Arabia and neighboring states prefer stability to collapse
7 – What comes next?
Scenarios between stalemate, transition, and escalation—and what matters now
____
🤝 More Information
German Federal Foreign Office
Current travel and security advice for Iran
Website: auswaertiges-amt.de
📬 Contact & Feedback
Questions, criticism, suggestions? Write to us:
🟢 Subscribe NowIm Krisenmodus—available wherever podcasts are found:
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Deezer | YouTube
📅 New Episodes
Every two weeks, on Wednesdays.
Im Krisenmodus is a podcast by FUNKE Media Group.