Despite the hardships of war, Iran’s rulers still have a base of support : State of the World from NPR

November 05, 2026 • 09:43 PM

Iran is bracing for the possibility of another round of U.S. and Israeli attacks now that the midterm elections are over. The war has driven inflation to almost 90 percent in Iran and has also damaged natural gas infrastructure, forcing people to conserve energy as winter sets in or face higher prices. But despite all these hardships many Iranians still support the Islamic Republic. We hear from some of them.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

Demonstrators in Tehran carry banners denouncing U.S. President Donald Trump during an annual rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, outside the former embassy. Sobhan Farajvan/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images hide caption

Iran is bracing for the possibility of another round of U.S. and Israeli attacks now that the midterm elections are over. The war has driven inflation to almost 90 percent in Iran and has also damaged natural gas infrastructure, forcing people to conserve energy as winter sets in or face higher prices. But despite all these hardships many Iranians still support the Islamic Republic. We hear from some of them. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org .

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