The Preamble

The Preamble

Regime Change in Iran Is Not That Simple

Iranians wanted freedom, instead they got a war

Elise Labott's avatar
Elise Labott
Apr 01, 2026
∙ Paid

As the war with Iran now enters its second month, I’m hearing from many readers who want to understand not just what this conflict means for the US, but what’s happening to the Iranian people. Although President Trump initially sold this war as an opportunity for Iranians to rise up and take control of their government, things haven’t quite unfolded tha…

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Elise Labott's avatar
A guest post by
Elise Labott
Global affairs journalist. I write Cosmopolitics on Substack.
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