How the Iranian Economy Actually Works

After Iran's 1979 revolution, its leaders promised wealth redistribution and independence from the West. Instead, according to guests Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, the economy transformed into a "mafia state" where loyalty to political and religious factions determines economic power. The episode explores how ordinary Iranians navigate pervasive cronyism, how the regime suppressed a once-promising tech sector, and why recent peace talks are unlikely to reshape the underlying patronage networks.