Iran’s Complicated MEGACITY: Tehran

Tehran is the capital of Iran, the world’s only significant theocracy, and the largest city in West Asia, with a population of 15 million.

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Megacity Episodes:

Chapters
0:00 Episode teaser
0:45 Geography of Iran
1:04 Tehran becomes the capital
1:31 Rise of Reza Khan
1:55 Reza Shah modernizes Iran
2:28 Shah makes enemies
2:59 Britain and the Soviets invade
3:21 CIA MI6 coup to oust Mossaddegh
3:51 Reign of Shah Pahlavi
4:01 Rise of Ayahtollah Ruhollah Khomeini
4:14 1979 Islamic Revolution
4:33 Iran's current government
5:00 Millions flee brutal government to America & Europe
5:27 Khomeini makes enemies with the US: the hostage crisis
5:45 Saddam Hussein's Iraq invades Iran
5:58 Mass immigration to Tehran
6:12 Iran's poor economy
6:34 Failed nuclear program
6:46 Huge renewable energy potential
7:04 Vulnerability to climate change: heat waves and drought
7:37 Tehran's megaprojects: metro, fast internet, sewer and water
8:02 Tabiat bridge
8:10 Youth of Tehran push for revolution
8:39 Government struggles to contain protests
8:53 Unprecedented actions by and against school children
9:05 Crossing the point of no return
9:15 What's next?

Located in west Asia, Iran has eight foreign borders and access to the ocean through the gulfs off its southern coast. Most of the country’s 87 million people live in the northwest, where it's cooler on the steppes of mountains home to the highest peak in Western Asia–Mount Damavand. In 1786, this land became the 32nd capital in the history of Persia, closer to areas in the north that had fallen under the influence of Russia and Britain.

Iran is highly vulnerable to the climate change temperature rise of 1.8 degrees C - that’s one-and-a-half times the mean global rise of 1.2 degrees. Prolonged drought that’s decimated its water supply and turned thousands of villages into ghost towns as surrounding farmland goes dry.

Several major projects have been completed in the capital. Tehran now has the largest metro system in the Middle East. Six cent ticket prices and a daily ridership of 3 million are improving its terrible traffic and air pollution. Internet speed and penetration has increased 10-fold; Tehran’s new, integrated sewer and water treatment system is 90% operational; and it’s internationally-celebrated Tabiat bridge.

The current Supreme Leader is an 83-year old in questionable health guiding a regime struggling to contain protests led by women demanding full rights that are inspiring millions to demand a functioning economy.

I profiled London last time and am exploring Buenos Aires, Argentina next.

USA vs. Iran Highlights | 2022 FIFA World Cup

[Globalurb]

I felt it was more about Iran than Tehran.

[abrahamchivas]

80% of the video talks about dictatorship and war, instead of the birth and expansion and modernization of the capital city. This is my least favorite videos of the series.

[kiyanhakim]

I love how this video continuously leaves out a lot of the key western involvement. Like completely leaving out that Khomeini took refuge in Paris and was supported by the west and the CIA and was flown into Iran by air france after western powers were salty that the Shah raised the oil prices.

Very very convenient to just forget that the west brought Khomeini and this very same regime to power.

[harry]

Of all the countries in South Asia and west Asia and Central Asia, I have to say that Iranian people seem to be the smartest and brightest by far.

[estshepherd]

Yay I'm so happy your making this type of content again!! Literally been waiting since 2016 for these type of videos

[ahsanshah]

This video seems more to be about the current regime and less about the neutral history, and facts about Tehran.

[shadesofpurple]

Iranian people are so friendly and their country is so beautiful ❤

[dZaq]

This was alright, but it did not address Tehran specifically, other than a pedestrian bridge. This addressed Iran's regime in general. It was still informative, but it was equivalent to saying you're doing a video on Beijing, then focusing on China as a whole, and Xi Jinping instead of the specific city.

Tehran is not Iran.

[AllThingsTrainsbyDrTesla]

would be very interesting to see a video about Athens, Greece! Although it's many problems, total lack of city planning and a very rapid expansion in the previous decades, now it's trying to modernize and expand its infrastructure and aim for a better future over all!

[darcycardinal]

This could be a mini series in itself, so much history of this beautiful country and city. I so want to visit Tehran as a Canadian, it's a longshot but I don't think it's impossible.

[peterland]

I've seen a lot of history videos and city-history videos. These are really up there in terms of quality. Plenty of intelligently narrated material, well selected historical background, great graphics. The music is not intrusive. My only complaint is that I want more! So keep em comin' please..

[Austin]

This one seemed more thrown together to make use of the current events. Loved the deeper dives of the city themselves and what is like for the people who live there.

[goostrey]

Great video! I like how this profile includes current crises (something your recent London video omitted). Your videos combine history, demographics and environmental analyses in ways that are particularly apropos at this time.

[dr.python]

Iran is a beautiful country with beautiful nature, beautiful people, beautiful food and culture.
*The only thing that ruined it is the same thing that still ruins the middle-east is an awful mindset from 7th century Arabia*

Even today there are refugee communities that are thriving in India and real Parsi effect can still be felt in the Culture of India.

Edit: Whatever remains in Iran must be protected and should not be allowed to further deteriorate by human greed or an awful mindset.

[K]

1:55 Iran has always been called Iran by Iranians. Persia is a province in Iran (Pars/Fars).

[fallbrkgrl]

My hope is that the youth of Iran stands strong, and keeps fighting for change.
The good people of Iran deserve to be free to live the kind of life that they want to live, and not dictated to live the way one man, and a small minority of others, want them to live.
Great video!
❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎

[shayanetemadi]

It is really painful to compare the Iran of Pahlavi's time with today's Iran, the Iran that we once knew as peace and friendship, equality, freedom of speech and gender and religious equality, now have been conquered by hungry leeches which brought us nothing more than lie, atheism, war, enmity, misery and dishonor. They have not created for their own people and other neighbors and the world and most importantly Iran

[dead_or_alive]

Tehran has such a vast history and so many details the producer brought up could be elaborated on. I really did enjoy the video, just wish it would have been much longer. Thank you for your work.

[infoshaheen]

Long Live the Islamic Republic of Iran.
F the Shah and their Stooges

[oldmanwhitebeard]

Mate, why do people from the West always look negatively on these countries? Pls, tell me. Iran is a strong stable country, they don't let Western corrupt countries sticky fingers on their luxury like oil etc.