This is the Iran of the 70s, where people
listen to rock and roll, wear miniskirts, and dance the twist. And this is modern Iran.
In this video, they also dance. However, for this dance without a hijab, the young
couple was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for corruption and vice with the intent to undermine
national security. What has changed in 40 years and is everything really as scary and horrible
as you imagine? What is it like to live in a country where almost everything is forbidden,
but at the same time everything is allowed? Today I will tell you how Iran, after
the 1979 revolution, made its country one of the most strict in the world. How
in a country where everything is banned, everything can be obtained. And how
the Iranians themselves have adapted and learned to live under sanctions. After
all, bans exist only to circumvent them. Hello! This is the back side of Iran, which
is not described in any guidebook. Let's go! 1. FALL OF THE EMPIRE To begin with, let's see how it all started.
Let's turn our guide back a few pages. After all, the starting position was simply excellent.
Iran or Persia had a very favorable location. It was a crossroads of trade routes. On
the one hand, access to the Caspian Sea, on the other, through the Persian Gulf to
the Indian Ocean. Persia was the center of trade around the world. In addition, the country
had huge reserves of natural resources. Today, about 5% of all metals are found in Iran, it
ranks second in the world in terms of natural gas reserves, and it has 3 times more oil than
the United States and 6 times more than Qatar. And all of that was led by Shah Mohammad Pahlavi,
as the country had an absolute monarchy until 1979. In 1963, the Shah took a pro-Western course
and declared a white revolution. That direction was supported by the people, as 99.3% said "yes"
to the course in a referendum. Big changes began in the country, many Western companies entered the
market, innovations in production and technology appeared, and reforms in education were announced.
In the 70s, Iran was called the "Paris of the East". Women were teaching in schools and passing
laws, and hundreds of thousands of Iranians were studying at Western universities. Everything
seemed to be going well, but there has always had another side. In fact, the Shah was a very poor
leader, stealing and not solving real problems. A large set of reforms was exclusively for the
urban elite. When reforms came to villages, many residents were left unemployed
because tractors did everything for them. Millions of the poor went
to the cities for a better life, but there was no work or social security there.
As a result, Tehran began to grow into slums. The peak was the party organized by the Shah
in 1971 in honor of the anniversary of the Persian Empire. For the three-day celebration,
a real city with tents was built, 15,000 trees and 50,000 songbirds were imported. Heads of
65 states came to the party, and journalists estimated the costs at $100 million. Locals
were shocked by the cost, to put it mildly. In addition, the country spent a lot of money
on foreign advisors. In 1977, $10 billion was spent for this purpose. These expenses began to
eat up to 25% of the annual budget, instead of being used to develop the economy. The average
salary of a foreign specialist was $10,000. And this was at a time when the purchasing power
of the dollar was much higher than it is now. Dissatisfaction with the reforms and the
pro-Western culture, which was simply something supernatural to Islam, was growing in the country.
When economic growth stoped by the end of the 70s, pro-Islamic leaders very skillfully used the
mood of the dissatisfied masses of people and offered them the idea of a traditional Islamic
state where everyone would be happy. In 1979, a revolution took place in Iran, the Shah
flees, and Ruholla Khomeini came to power, becoming the country's first spiritual leader.
Western businesses were expelled from the country, strict Islamic laws were introduced, and
women's rights were severely restricted. In addition to business, universities and schools
were closed. Interestingly, that time an open referendum was held and the people were again
asked if they wanted changes. 99.8% said yes. And this was not surprising, because Khomeini
promised many good things. Complete freedom from interference from other states, free
gas and water, free education and medicine. But where did the sanctions come
from? And it happened in November 1979, when Islamists seized the US
Embassy in Tehran, took 66 hostages, and demanded the return of the Shah. As a
result, the diplomats were held hostage for 444 days. In response, America imposed
a ban on the purchase of Iranian oil, on the supply of any goods except essential goods,
and freezed $12 billion in Iran's accounts. A slight easing of sanctions restrictions was
achieved in 2015, when the nuclear deal was signed. But in 2017, the new Trump administration
announced new sanctions against Iran. 2. A BAN ON EVERYTHING Until February 24, 2022, Iran was the world leader
in terms of the number of sanctions. But the country itself had a huge number of restrictions
and bans. There was a ban on oil trade, a ban on the purchase of technology, no Western brands
were officially allowed, and the Internet was restricted. A very large number of prohibitions
and freedoms affected women in particular. Women couldn’t fly abroad without
the permission of their father, husband or brother. You couldn't
sing on stage, you couldn't rap, you couldn't drive a motorcycle, you
couldn't kiss your boyfriend on the street, you couldn't go out without a hijab,
you couldn't go out with short sleeves, you couldn't check into a motel room with a
boyfriend. And there were many other prohibitions. For example, the ban on singing on stage
is interesting. Women were forbidden to do that because... men liked it that way.
But you could sing if a man sang with you. In mid-September 2022, the Iranian police arrested
a 22-year-old girl, Mahsa Amini, for wearing a hijab incorrectly. In the police station, Mahsa
was beaten and died a day later. On the same day, people rallied at the hospital where Amini
was treated, and a week later, rallies spread throughout Iran. Women teared off their hijabs,
burnt them, and cut off their hair in protest. The rallies turned into protests and people demanded
the overthrow of the regime. Within a few months, about 14,000 people were arrested and at
least 458 were killed. During this time, the Iranian authorities learned how to deal
with protests. That scheme had already worked out during the protests against the increase in
gasoline prices. The government shut down the Internet and brutally suppressed the uprising with
blood and murder. At the same time, of course, it blamed the external enemy for everything.
No matter what field you chose (finance, sports, culture, etc.), you would face prohibitions and
restrictions everywhere. Alcohol, satellite TV, personal blogs, Western movies, etc. were banned.
But here's another example. The fines for not wearing a seat belt were much higher than the fine
for being in a car without a hijab. Therefore, most Iranian women did the following. They put
on the hijab in the car, but the most paradoxical thing was that when they got out of the car,
they took it off. Why? You may ask! In Iran, you can meet girls with their heads uncovered?
Yes, you can. But we've just told the story of Mahsa. Now we are getting to the most
interesting part. After all, in Iran, the rule "what is forbidden is permitted" is
unspoken. Now we are on the other side of Iran. But first, be sure to subscribe to the channel
so you don't miss stories about other countries. 3. THE OTHER SIDE OF IRAN After 40 years of sanctions and bans,
Iran has learned to live with them and, most importantly, to circumvent them.
This happens both at the level of the government and at the level of ordinary
people. For example, here's how it works at the state level. In 2018, the United
States imposed an embargo on Iranian oil, which means that no one in the world can buy it.
What was actually happening? The tanker left Iran, turned off the transponder, and transferred
the oil to another tanker under the flag of another country. They could then sell the oil
to anyone, although the main buyer was China. It was also forbidden to sell dollars to Iran.
And indeed, officially, an ordinary citizen of the country can buy no more than $2,200 a year. But in
reality, there are 3 dollar rates in the country. The official, market rate is the rate you can find
in exchange offices and the unofficial rate at the so-called "money changers". You can buy as many
dollars as you want from them. And their services are popular because buying dollars, gold coins,
and real estate is a good investment. After all, the country has very high inflation, there were
years when it reached 40%. It is interesting that the national currency is Rial, but all locals
use the old currency of Tomans on price tags because there are fewer zeros. Loans are
also prohibited in Iran. But you can buy, say, a car not for $10,000, but for $15,000
in instalments. And this is no longer a loan. I have already said that all foreign brands are
officially banned. That's why brands like Samsung, LG, Sony, Apple... are in Iran, but not
officially. This equipment is imported into the country and sold in shopping centers.
There are no prohibitions or copyrights. It is unlikely that the brands themselves know that
they are present in the Iranian market. Do you understand what is happening? On the one hand,
it's forbidden, but on the other hand, you can turn a blind eye. You can get everything. If
something is not available in Iran, you can always order it from Turkey or Azeibarjan, and special
people called "buyers" will bring it to you. Social networks are not banned as such,
but there are restrictions so that you use them less. That's why all locals use VPNs
to get around this restriction. Interestingly, until recently, the spiritual leader
of Iran had an official Instagram profile with 5 million followers.
I wonder if he also used a VPN. Here's another clear example with alcohol.
Alcohol is not just banned, it is strictly prohibited. The first time someone sells it,
they cut off a finger, and the fifth time they cut off the entire hand. There are no bars or
clubs in the country. But at the same time, every Iranian knows where and from whom to buy
alcohol. It is produced at home and then sold. These sellers are called dealers. Iran has strict
rules, but that doesn't mean that everyone gets caught. There are two sides to Iran. The state
prohibits many things, but it also turns a blind eye to many things, especially private life.
As long as you don't undermine the political system. But what about the example with the
couple at the very beginning of the video, you might ask? This is to keep you on your toes.
This is a kind of unspoken balance of power. As I said from the very beginning, Iran
has a very large economic potential, but the country's economy is not growing. Today,
Iran's GDP is $360 billion, which is $4,401 per person. This is the level of Lebanon or Sri
Lanka. If Iran were to develop its potential, it could compete with countries like Germany,
Japan, and even the United States. But the government is choosing a completely different dark
path. Thank you for watching and see you soon.
