Glenn & Ryan w/ Emad Shargi - 5 Year IRGC Prisoner in Iran Explains Why Iran's Protests Are Different This Time w/ CIA Veterans

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast 🔗 https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ Get daily intelligence briefs, strategic analysis, and insights from former intelligence officers. Stay ahead of the curve. Iran. Prison. Protest. Power. This is not theory. This is lived experience. In this episode of the Restricted Handling Podcast, recorded from the Institute of World Politics (IWP) media studio in Washington, DC, hosts Ryan Fugit (former Army & CIA officer) and Glenn Corn (34-year CIA veteran, multiple-time Chief of Station) sit down with Emad Shargi, an Iranian-American businessman who spent years imprisoned by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Emad Shargi was detained by the IRGC in 2018, held in Evin Prison, and reduced to a number—97010. His story is a powerful case study in Iran's hostage diplomacy, repression, and the reality inside the regime's prisons. Today, Emad is a leading voice on Iran's internal collapse, protest movements, and what may come next. 🎙️ In this conversation, we cover: What it's like to disappear into Iran's prison system Why today's protests are different from 2009, 2017, and 2019 How the IRGC and Basij actually operate on the ground Whether the regime could collapse—and how fast that can happen What comes after the Islamic Republic Why comparisons to Iraq are wrong The roles of Russia, China, Turkey, and Israel if Iran destabilizes How the U.S. can support the Iranian people without backfiring Glenn Corn, now a professor at IWP, adds deep regional and intelligence context drawn from decades in the field, including how authoritarian regimes fall—and why echo chambers are so dangerous. 🧠 NOTE: For those interested in connecting with Emad Shargi or learning more about his work and advocacy, please reach out directly through Restricted Handling at 👉 https://www.restrictedhandling.com/ This episode is raw, unfiltered, and essential for anyone trying to understand Iran, regime collapse, and what real freedom movements look like up close. ⏱️ TIMELINE / CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro & Recording from IWP 01:30 – "97010": Inside Iran's Prison System 05:00 – Why Today's Protests Are Different 08:45 – IRGC, Basij, and Regime Repression 13:30 – Could the Regime Collapse—and How Fast? 18:45 – Russia, China, and the Exit Options 23:30 – What Comes After the Islamic Republic 28:30 – How the U.S. Can (and Can't) Help 32:30 – Final Thoughts: Hope, Risk, and Reality 🔗 LINKS & REFERENCES Glenn Corn Institute of World Politics – Faculty Profile https://www.iwp.edu/faculty/glenn-corn/ Great South Bay Consulting https://greatsouthbayinc.com/ Restricted Handling Subscribe & Contact https://www.restrictedhandling.com/