Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, the Archbishop of Tehran–Isfahan, has been evacuated to Rome following the emergency closure of the Italian Embassy in Tehran, which serves as both his residence and the diocesan cathedral. As military strikes intensify across the Iranian capital, the Belgian prelate was forced to depart, leaving behind a dwindling Catholic community of about 2,000 faithful. Kian Tajbakhsh, a professor of international relations at NYU, an Iranian-American scholar, and a former political prisoner released as part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, joins to discuss more. He shares insight on how much of a threat Iran poses to the United States, recounts his experience being held captive by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard for a year, and analyzes whether recent U.S. strikes will impact the IRGC’s commitment. He also discusses the consensus on how many Iranians support the regime, the sentiment among ordinary citizens on the ground today, and what options they may have to resist or respond.

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