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Iran's regime is "rotten to its core" | Simon Sebag Montefiore

The Observer UK

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Is Iran's regime "rotten to its core"? Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore on Iran, Trump and the making of the modern Middle East – from the fall of the Ottoman Empire to the war in Gaza.

At this Observer Book Club event, Simon Sebag Montefiore – author of Jerusalem, Stalin and The Romanovs – talks to Observer literary editor Tom Gatti about his new book, The Cauldron, a history of the Middle East since 1900.

Simon and Tom discuss some of the questions investigated in the book: How did one extraordinary prince create Saudi Arabia? Why did the Arab Spring fall? Who was the last great Ottoman sultan? Could a two-state solution in Israel/Palestine ever work? The Cauldron tackles these and more.

To join us for future Book Club events, visit https://observer.co.uk/our-events

20 Comments

@iippo06 2 hours ago

As a secular European, I wouldn't say that holy is the first word that pops into my head when I think about that part of the world. It's more like an all-year-around haunted house.

@colinsquires5081 14 hours ago

a profound thank you for such an interesting and thought provoking talk. im excited to read the book!

@user-zq1nz7qv7o 3 hours ago

Simon Sebag Montefiore was born in London into a family of Jewish descent that had escaped Romanov Russia's pogroms.[5][6][7][8] His father was psychotherapist Stephen Eric Sebag Montefiore (1926–2014), a great-grandson of the banker Sir Joseph Sebag-Montefiore, the nephew and heir of the wealthy philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore.[9]

@chrisjones1238 11 hours ago

According to Amazon Australia, my copy should arrive next week.

@arsalanzare1560 2 hours ago

Iraq is not an Arabic word. It is Persian, and it means small Iran; Irak.

@jueshihuanggua3162 10 hours ago

disagree on the bombing, they needed to destroy the IRGC's missiles facilities, that's the operation's primary goal, Iran was stockpiling so many missiles it threatened the gulf states and israel, even with their expensive air defence system they wouldn't be able to cope with the sheer number of missiles

@Yalda.G 1 hour ago

As an Iranian, born and raised in Iran, Tehran. I utterly disagree with your view about the Shah, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi , the King. He was a great leader and he loved his people and his country. All those propaganda against him was portrayed by CIA and British and communist regimes to overthrow him because he was powerful and loved by his people.
Now the Generation Z in Iran are calling his name and want his son Prince Reza Pahlavi to be back to the throne.
People love Pahlavi dynasty and are being brutally slaughtered for wanting the monarchy to be back. People are chanting Long Live The Shah and are dying for what they want.
At the end we will be victorious and have our king back to his throne. 👑👑👑👑👑👑

@2Hot2 13 hours ago

Such a high--quality interview deserves a better title than the clickbait "This regime will collapse". What regime??? Britain? Iran? Israel? Okay, some people may click to answer the question but I only clicked for SSM in spite of the dumb title.

@masonshall 5 hours ago

Iranian here. Thank you for mentioning the mass killing of Persians in the streets by the Islamic Republic. We don't know the numbers, but each one of us lost a friend or family member.
One correction about what you said, Simon: the leaders of the Islamic Republic hate Persia's Shahs (Kings). They call themselves "Ummah" which means Islamic Community. They hate our traditional New Year "Nowruz" or anything related to our Ancient Persian culture. Islamic Republic is a system that uses Iran (Its geography and it's resoruces and its people) for the Islamic Ummah. Or maybe we can say that it is their way to stay in power in this political Islamic System.

@ia1530 2 hours ago

Why don’t you focus on the rotten and filthy state of mind within your own societies? Instead of constantly diverting attention to others, why not confront the serious problems within your own communities? Is the reality of those problems so difficult for you to face? I feel terrible for those who fall for your deceptions and lose sight of their own misery.

@SamJ-w4d 4 hours ago

I have been listening to Simon for a while. Unfortunately he is also telling pars of the truth.

@neildepoy7329 1 hour ago

You can tell this guy favors Socialism, almost Communism, no wonder Europe and Middleeast has so many problems.

@willdon.1279 6 hours ago

Absolutely excellent; balanced, informative, and it underlines how tragic it is that a group of people who really ought to be able to live together are dedicated to killing/resisting...
As a lifelong Rational Humanist, I do wish religions could simply keep to their private beliefs and celebrate the good, reject the bad. Allow others to exist peacefully.

@TM-yr3pc 12 hours ago

Unlikely to collapse. There will be an internal power struggle …and it will moderate to survive.

@nijadbahnam9859 12 hours ago

Either the regime collapse or persian civilisation will with the regime with it .

The mismanagement of the Ayatollah Cult is so extreme you have most of Iran turning into a barren wasteland incapable of sustaining life and cities collapsing due to drying up of all water sources .

The regime is relocating to the gulf building a new capital and turning basically to a pirate Enclave on the strait .

@agritech802 3 hours ago

Very one sided analysis

@brett03747 17 hours ago

Definitely has not been enriched by immigration

@Yalda.G 1 hour ago

You people in the west don’t know anything about Iranian people and what they truly believe.
We love Pahlavi dynasty and we will bring back our king Reza Pahlavi the second into his throne.
Please stop giving false information about my country and people….
Iranian are more sophisticated and they can choose their further… we don’t need your nonsense …