Deconstructing Division. Rebuilding Conversation.
A platform for unpacking ideology, memory, and identity across Iran’s divided opposition.
Our Mission
Goftegu exists to bridge the divide within the Iranian opposition by exploring the deeper psychological and historical reasons that make unity and dialogue so difficult.
Through our podcast and article platform, we open space for honest conversations between different political communities, unpacking the mindset and lived experiences that shape the Iranian diaspora.
We’re not here to claim that unity is possible across all camps — but we believe in a more empathetic approach, one that helps us understand the barriers standing in the way of connection.
Goftegu exists to bridge the divide within the Iranian opposition by exploring the deeper psychological and historical reasons that make unity and dialogue so difficult.
Through our podcast and article platform, we open space for honest conversations between different political communities, unpacking the mindset and lived experiences that shape the Iranian diaspora.
We’re not here to claim that unity is possible across all camps — but we believe in a more empathetic approach, one that helps us understand the barriers standing in the way of connection.
What does the Iranian Psyche look like?
Polarization
Polarization
Authoritarianism in Iran
We begin in Iran — where expressing dissent can mean arrest, torture, or execution.
The regime’s violent crackdowns on protestors have created a society defined by fear, surveillance, and silence.
But repression doesn’t end there. Access to basic economic resources — jobs, housing, education —is controlled
by the state or its affiliates. To survive, Iranians rely on informal networks, building economic capital through
informal networks. This system fosters deep competition, mistrust, paranoia and a survivalist mindset that echoes into the diaspora.
We begin in Iran — where expressing dissent can mean arrest, torture, or execution.
The regime’s violent crackdowns on protestors have created a society defined by fear, surveillance, and silence.
But repression doesn’t end there. Access to basic economic resources — jobs, housing, education —is controlled by the state or its affiliates. To survive, Iranians rely on informal networks, building economic capital through informal networks. This system fosters deep competition, mistrust, paranoia and a survivalist mindset that echoes into the diaspora.
The Diaspora Experience
The Diaspora Experience
In exile, this mindset persists. Many Iranians feel the urgnet need to assimilate quickly - to become the good migrant.
This is in order to access economic opportunities in the host countries.
Unlike other diasporas that often form strong communal bonds under the pressure of assimilation,
Iranians tend to take individualistic paths. Years of internalized competition, fear of infiltration by regime agents,
and limited experience with collective organizing - which is suppressed inside Iran - all contribute to weak communal
trust and cohesion abroad.
In exile, this mindset persists. Many Iranians feel the urgent need to assimilate quickly - to become the good migrant.
This is in order to access economic opportunities in the host countries.
Unlike other diasporas that often form strong communal bonds under the pressure of assimilation,
Iranians tend to take individualistic paths. Years of internalized competition, fear of infiltration by regime agents, and limited experience with collective organizing - which is suppressed inside Iran - all contribute to weak communal trust and cohesion abroad.
In exile, this mindset persists. Many Iranians feel the urgent need to assimilate quickly - to become the good migrant.
This is in order to access economic opportunities in the host countries.
Unlike other diasporas that often form strong communal bonds under the pressure of assimilation, Iranians tend to take individualistic paths.
Years of internalized competition, fear of infiltration by regime agents, and limited experience with collective organizing - which is suppressed inside Iran - all contribute to weak communal trust and cohesion abroad.
Psychological Exhaustion
Since 2009, Iranians have witnessed at least eight major waves of mobilization. Each uprising brings a surge of revolutionary hope,
followed by the crushing weight of disappointment when change doesn’t come. This repetitive cycle of hope and despair has led to
psychological fatigue — a trauma that makes trust, patience, and long-term collaboration in the diaspora even more difficult to sustain.
Since 2009, Iranians have witnessed at least eight major waves of mobilization. Each uprising brings a surge of revolutionary hope, followed by the crushing weight of disappointment when change doesn’t come.
This repetitive cycle of hope and despair has led to psychological fatigue — a trauma that makes trust, patience, and long-term collaboration in the diaspora even more difficult to sustain.
Since 2009, Iranians have witnessed at least eight major waves of mobilization. Each uprising brings a surge of revolutionary hope, followed by the crushing weight of disappointment when change doesn’t come.
This repetitive cycle of hope and despair has led to psychological fatigue — a trauma that makes trust, patience, and long-term collaboration in the diaspora even more difficult to sustain.
Political Hostility
With a legacy of unresolved political wounds, the continued rule of an Islamist regime, and the painful memory of 1979’s failed revolutionary
alliances, moments of uprising now often give way to hostility. Old divisions re-emerge. Competing visions of Iran’s future clash. These
political rifts aren’t just ideological — they’re emotional, shaped by fear, uncertainty, and a collective memory of betrayal. The Iranian
psyche carries the scars of history, and those scars define how Iranians relate to one another today..
With a legacy of unresolved political wounds, the continued rule of an Islamist regime, and the painful memory of 1979’s failed revolutionary alliances, moments of uprising now often give way to hostility. Old divisions re-emerge. Competing visions of Iran’s future clash. These political rifts aren’t just ideological — they’re emotional, shaped by fear, uncertainty, and a collective memory of betrayal. The Iranian psyche carries the scars of history, and those scars define how Iranians relate to one another today..
Podcast Episodes
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