[maverick2007]

All these politics and political games are such a shame. The Tehran that the author describes seems like a really vibrant city that I'd really like to visit and experience. But I never will for fear or something like this happening, becoming some tiny pawn in a much bigger game. And I wish that Iranians could come to the US and visit NYC or SF and see our culture. Then we might realize that the other side is something more than the strawman that media or government portrays them as.

[benbreen]

I'm an American citizen and visited Iran back 2017 with no problems. I was nervous about getting questioned but surprisingly, it turned out to be one of the smoothest border crossings I've ever experienced - when entering Iran and the US I literally got no questions at all. (Getting an Iranian entry visa as an American without a government minder was bit trickier, but I was also pleasantly surprised by how smoothly that went - they even wrote me a check to reimburse me for a priority processing fee that didn't end up being necessary, which was a first).

That said - 2017 was, in retrospect, a pretty easy time to visit Iran, and I wouldn't risk it now given the events of the last few months. But I very much hope to be able to go back.

I can confirm what several others here are saying - Tehran is a cosmopolitan, fascinating city, and Iranians are wonderful, on the whole. Some of the biggest surprises for me were

1) the religious and cultural pluralism on display - I saw Zoroastrian temples, synagogues, and plenty of churches (with the prominent exception of Bahá'i, who are forced to live in the shadows). Not to mention that the vast majority of Iranians I talked to about religion were on the atheist-agnostic spectrum, although they participate in religious holidays and customs in much the same way that my lapsed Catholic family did when I was growing up.

2) How much Iranians like American culture, and how connected they are to it by friends and family who live in the US. I knew this from before, of course, but it was surreal to be, say, talking to an older couple in a tiny provincial village and end up discussing their favorite taquerias in Orange County (that really happened to me). Or the kids in a mall who insisted on taking a bunch of selfies with me when they found out I was from the US.

Anyway, I found the whole trip to be extraordinary and came away from it convinced that, on the level of culture and society if not our current governments, Americans and Iranians are natural allies. I hope for a future where that can happen.

[peteretep]

> I'm an American citizen and visited Iran back 2017 with no problems

The irony here is that if you weren't American, this trip would have cost you visa-free access to America.

[wolco]

Until 1979 they were. As quick as it changed it could change back if the poltical pressures change. All it would take would be Iran/Israel making peace which would push the Saudis into the bad guys role.

[kevin_thibedeau]

A worthwhile watch is the music video for Khruangbin's Maria También. It takes pre-revolutionary video of female pop stars and systematically erases them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hlGqj3ImQI

[cowboysauce]

> Getting an Iranian entry visa as an American without a government minder was bit trickier

How did you manage that? I thought that it was required for American citizens to have a tour guide with them at all times. Did you get some sort of non-tourist visa that allowed that to happen?

[616c]

I went in 2011 and this resonated with me. One of the best trips of my life!

[m0zg]

>> synagogues

Do they still operate or are they remnants of pre-revolutionary times? I don't see how they can operate in a state whose publicly stated goal is to "wipe Israel from the face of the Earth".

[Bendingo]

Iran's issue with Israel is not related to Judaism. It's important to distinguish between anti-zionism and anti-semitism. Iran is the former but not the latter.

[alasdair_]

The article has several paragraphs on the synagogues and how they operate today. Jews were wearing skullcaps in the streets and there were apparently several operating synagogues.

The article also mentioned that the buildings are unadorned from the outside, and that the website for the synagogue he attended had text on it condemning the Israeli government for the 2008 Gaza atrocities, so it's not completely unencumbered.

[sykick]

Iranians I've talked to say they have no problem with Judaism. Their issue is Zionism. The distinction is lost in the West but not in the Middle East. Arab Jews who were forced to leave their countries for Israel had a hard time integrating into Israel and there are still problems in Israel over this as I understand it.

[detaro]

They still operate, Iran doesn't seem to make it easy but also doesn't totally suppress them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Iran#Is...

[m0zg]

Can you imagine the courage it'd take to go to one under the circumstances? Wow.

[Centigonal]

Tehran is a beautiful city with a wide range of smart, compassionate, cool people.

My cousin in Tehran introduced me to games like Counterstrike, Grim Fandango, and Battlefield, which got me into PC gaming, which got me into open source game scripting. We spent a few summers in Tehran, and there was this electronics bazaar called Paytakht[1] that I'd always beg my mom to take me to. They had everything from motherboards and CPUs to cracked versions of Photoshop to iPhone screen repairs.

Cosmopolitan Iranians are stuck in a strange situation: a majority resent the current regime for a litany of reasons (repressing religious minorities in Iran, regressive attitudes toward women, corruption, economic stagnation and inflation, the list goes on) - but they also resent the US and UK governments for denying them a chance at being a secular democracy[2]. They don't want to be the next Iraq, or the next Libya, or the next Afghanistan, either.

OTOH, because of this conflict between the people and their government, many Iranians see a country's actions as not representative of the sentiments of its people. This (plus Iran's hospitality culture) is why, despite the political tensions, Americans generally get treated very well in Iran. It's also likely why most people the author of this article interacted with treat him with an air of "I'm sorry, it's not personal." When it comes to Islamic fundamentalism in Tehran, only a vocal minority's hearts are really in it.

[1] Still exists! https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/width960/38765094_bQrfJd...

[2] If you want to understand US/Iran relations at all, you need to know about the 1953 coup and its after-effects: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9ta...

[albroland]

This mirrors my experience when I visited: incredibly hospitable, polite, and outgoing people.

As a US passport holder with no relation to Iran or Israel, it was easy enough to visit, although you are under the watch of your state-sanctioned minder the entire time as the author eluded to. Going through immigration on arrival, I was detained for about an hour while they presumably were examining my documents, but every encounter I had with police was fairly cordial if not a bit unprofessional.

Once inside, it is indeed a vibrant place. Tehran has a booming nightlife, and outside the gaze of the religious police people were living quite freely (especially in the Armenian or jewish communities). It seems they go to great lengths to do everything as privately as possible, as to not attract the attention of the morality police, allowing them to save face. Young people were quite adamantly secular, and apologetic for their theocratic government. You definitely get the impression that citizens feel the government doesn't represent them at all.

I'm not sure I plan on returning, but I'd certainly encourage curious people to visit as there is a lot worth seeing.

[armenarmen]

Yep, I get Christmas cards from my cousins in Tehran. They can eat pork, make and drink wine with no real issue. Iran has (for abrahamic faiths at least) probably the best religious tolerance in the region

[lostlogin]

I’m surprised at this. Have you spent time in Israel? I haven’t been to either but would have expected Israel to be better again. Thanks for the comment.

[edanm]

Never been to Iran, but I live in Israel. Israel has its problems, but it is for the most part a western-style liberal democracy, religious tolerance very much included. There are plenty of religious minorities here, including Muslisms, Christians, and lots of other faiths, and they are not discriminated against for the most part.

(Note: I'm obviously leaving aside the issue of the Palestinians, which is not exactly about religion but about ethnicity/nationality/sovereignty.)

[ska]

  I haven’t been to either but would have expected Israel to be better again.

I'm curious, why would you expect that having no experience of either?

[FabHK]

Because one is a theocracy, and the other one a liberal democracy. The expectation is not wrong, either, in my view (and I have been to both countries).

[lostlogin]

From various news sources I guess? I read about the region quite a lot, including from sources that are critical of Israeli state behaviour (eg Robert Fisk) but that’s no substitute for being there.

[aledalgrande]

The wikipedia article linked above is something everyone should know and not forget about Iran and US.

US gov contributed to destabilizing the country because they wanted to keep a tight grip on oil.

This is how Iran looked in the 50s, before the coup: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=iran+in+the+50s&atb=v164-1&iax=ima...

[52-6F-62]

Quickly browsing some photos of the city out of curiosity, I came across this article which is an interesting read so far (I'll have to finish later):

https://yomadic.com/iran-tourism-2017/

[m0zg]

Regarding the lack of alcohol, this is true in public spaces, but an Iranian friend of mine says they drink just like everybody else at home, illegally, perhaps more so due to the forbidden fruit effect. And also, because alcohol officially "doesn't exist" in the country, there's no such thing as a DUI, meaning if you get caught driving drunk they'll have to charge you with something else.

[eadmund]

The coup of 1953 consisted of the Prime Minister of Iran ignoring the shah's legal order dismissing him from office and attempting to seize pre-eminent power for himself. To the extent that the U.S. and the U.K. were engaged in Persian politics in 1953, they were supporting the legitimate government against a usurper.

[eternalban]

The fact that this lie -- "Shah was installed in `53 coup overthrowing the democratically elected Mossadegh" -- is insistently propagated by Western and Iranian propaganda machines is a very distinct clue. (Same can be said by the embrace of MKO cult by the likes of Bolton, Guilliani, and the rest of that gang. They never ever say even a single positive word about the late Shah of Iran. Verboten!)

Even wikipedia admits that:

"A referendum on the dissolution of Parliament, the first referendum ever held in Iran, was held in August 1953. The dissolution was approved by more than 99% of voters."

"99% of voters". This was the coup of Dr. Mossadegh and that ridiculous number is exhibit A.

"The balloting was not secret and there were two separate voting booths, i.e. the opponents of Mossadegh had to cast their vote in a separate tent.[7][1] Critics pointed that the referendum had ignored the democratic demand for secret ballots."

Sounds democratic to me. (Actually reminds me of the referendum of Ayatollah Khomeini -- I remember it vividly. I went with my uncle to the polling station. Two boxes in the room, clearly marked for and against, with dear "brothers" from the Komiteh with the G3s assault rifles slung over their shoulders watching over the process.)

Care to guess how many of those who virtue signal by bringing up '53 are aware of the "democratically elected" Dr. Mossadegh's "emergency powers"?

Even fewer know that the good Dr. was a member of the aristocracy of the deposed and despised Qajar dynasty.

Of course non-Iranians are welcome to their opinions, but it is entirely reassuring to this former Iranian that "Pahlavi" has become the rallying cry of Iranian youth.

[Apocryphon]

You can claim that Mossadegh was no angel, but the Shah was even worse:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1980/03/23/t...

This apologist article damns the Shah with faint praise- perhaps there had been improvements under the Pahlavis in the latter days of the regime, but there were flagrant abuses under the SAVAK secret police in the early '70s to 1976- in engaging in such brutality, and in botching the land reform of the White Revolution, Mohammad Reza tied his own noose.

[eternalban]

I have said precisely zero about the character of the late Dr. Mossadegh or the late Shahanshah of Iran. What I have pointed out is the curious case of canned narrative peddled by Western and Iranian propaganda organs.

But speaking of "angels", I'd say SAVAK was angelic compared to CIA, MI6, MOSSAD & KGB and their record of "brutality".

p.s. Regrettably you likely do not speak Farsi, but this BBC Persian show brings together a former SAVAK, National Front, and Fadeyeen Khalgh (militant terrorist Left) gentlemen including the historian who wrote a quite interesting book on Sabeti (SAVAK thinking end) and it is interesting how at the end of episode 2 they all wonder at how they agree that the poor "evil" "fascist" "puppet" Shah's regime was far far more civilized and gentle than the actual thugs of the so called Islamic Republic of Iran.

part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNFfdb-LKII

part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsnMZUcAfJg

[Apocryphon]

On the contrary, you've described the governance of the short-lived rule of Mossadegh compared to Mohammad Reza.

You know, to criticize the Shah does not mean to praise the ayatollahs. Nor does to criticize the ayatollahs mean one has to praise the shah. His misrule and cruelties, no matter how nominal when compared in a fit of whataboutism, simply emboldened his enemies and led to revolution. In some ways, you can lay the atrocities of the successive regimes on his bloody follies.

[MisterTea]

I once went on google maps and looked around Tehran. I found pizza shops and other very familiar things. I sat there with same conclusion: we're not that different. just trained to hate each other because a bunch of megalomaniacs want more power and money.

[TomVDB]

There was this British guy who drove from Beijing back home on a Honda C90 moped.

His video about Iran is heartwarming.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LEgowbzSc

[smortaz]

Hah. Came to post the same video :). He didn’t actually visit a lot of the “beautiful” parts of the country, but it does paint a good picture of the peoples’ attitudes (even in really harsh economic times under a brutal regime)

[zenmaster10665]

awesome vid - thanks

[tonyedgecombe]

They have the largest bookshop in the world: http://www.globalconstructionreview.com/news/worlds-largest-...

[selimthegrim]

Ask a Baha’i that.

[gherkinnn]

Tehran is a mostly awful place. The traffic and air pollution are something else. Though it is interesting and worth visiting.

Cities in the south and northwest are more pleasurable.

Take places like Shiraz, Tabriz (to name a few common examples) for example. They are something to behold! And in the north, squished between the Caspian Sea and the Alborz mountains, you will even find temperate rain forests.

[yodsanklai]

> And I wish that Iranians could come to the US and visit NYC or SF and see our culture

Plenty of Iranians live in the US or western countries.

[maverick2007]

Sure, that's definitely true but I'm just saying that this same thing happens going the other way too. There was actually just an story about it the other day. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/us/michigan-iranian-student-d...

So maybe I should've said that I wish more Iranians could come to our country safely and easily.

[madengr]

There is a big difference between being denied entry (to the USA) and being held for interrogation (in Iran).

[trenning]

It's really unfortunate there are even Iranian athletes who can't get visas to come here and compete.

[ljm]

I really recommend watching Persepolis.

[gfodor]

I can't think of any examples where people in the US have erroneously conflated the Iranian public and government in recent times. That seems like a strawman. The green revolution a few years ago had widespread support in the US.

The recent pushback against the regime in the days following the recent soleimani killing should have led to more support from the public in the US. Sadly, since doing so would 'align' them with Trump's anti-regime rhetoric, many people who so eagerly donned green avatars on Twitter many years ago decided to stay silent and ignore it. I don't think people in the US think of the regime and public as the same entity, but I do think that the US's public support of Iran's counter-regime forces will be fickle as long as Trump supports those forces.

[maverick2007]

I was mostly speaking from my own experience earlier in my life. I was raised on pretty much exclusively conservative media for the first 18 years of my life and I would've sworn up and down that every or at the very least the majority of Iranians not only hated the US but went into the streets and chanted "death to America". I'll admit that a lot of this naivety is the result of youth but I think you might be surprised that a lot of US citizens still believe what I used to.

[chris11]

I disagree. I haven't heard anyone in the US say Soleimani was a good person. The liberal viewpoint is that killing him was an act of war, and there's no interest in war with Iran. Other complaints include a general belief that the killing made us less safe. Nobody knew what the short-term impact would be, and the long term impact is unknown. Also, increased tensions with Iran before the killing were directly caused by Trump's foreign policy, and the lack of communication and process involved in the killing meant we lost international support for future actions against Iran.

[gfodor]

I didn't claim that anyone said he was a good person. I claimed that the public in the US had a muted response to the subsequent student uprising against the regime which occurred shortly thereafter. 10 years ago a similar uprising was met with words of support by the US public. This year, silence.

[chris11]

I don't think that student protests should be separated from the killing. Normally they should be supported. But right after the killing I think the most important goal should be reducing the probability of war. And besides, regime change in Iran initiated by the US makes me nervous.

[jessaustin]

The simplest explanation is that Qasem Soleimani beat ISIS. ISIS was a long-term project of the military-industrial complex, by which they looted a great deal of money from USA taxpayers. Had ISIS existed as a "credible threat" for a longer time, they could have looted more. So, MIC hated Soleimani. Nearly everyone in Washington is on MIC payroll, so very few of them could voice an authentic criticism of the assassination.