AND SURPRISING LAND I'VE EVER VISITED.

WE'RE IN IRAN,

HERE TO LEARN, TO UNDERSTAND,

AND TO MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

Women: HELLO!

LIKE MOST AMERICANS,

I KNOW ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT IRAN.

FOR ME, THIS IS A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY.

WHAT ARE MY HOPES?

TO ENJOY A RICH AND FASCINATING CULTURE,

TO GET TO KNOW A NATION

THAT'S A LEADER IN ITS CORNER OF THE WORLD

AND HAS BEEN FOR 2,500 YEARS,

AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND

THE 70 MILLION PEOPLE WHO CALL THIS PLACE HOME.

WE'LL EXPLORE THE LEADING CITY OF TEHRAN,

AND AFTER SURVIVING ITS CRAZY TRAFFIC,

WE'LL EXPERIENCE IRANIAN LIFE TODAY

IN THIS GIANT METROPOLIS.

AFTER A SAMPLING OF IRAN'S RICH AND GLORIOUS PAST,

WE'LL DISCUSS THE 20th-CENTURY STORY

OF THIS PERPLEXING NATION.

MOST IMPORTANT, WE'LL MEET AND TALK WITH

THE PEOPLE WHOSE GOVERNMENT SO EXASPERATES AMERICA.

THE RELIGIOUS AND THE POLITICS IS MIXED.

AND AFTER A VISIT AT KHOMEINI'S TOMB,

WE'LL SIDE-TRIP TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

AND GET A TASTE

OF THE TRANQUILITY OF RURAL LIFE.

IRAN, TWICE THE SIZE OF FRANCE,

SITS EAST OF EUROPE

IN AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT CORNER OF ASIA,

SURROUNDED BY TURKEY, IRAQ, PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN.

FROM THE CAPITAL OF TEHRAN,

WE'LL FOLLOW AN ANCIENT TRADE ROUTE

SOUTH TO THE VILLAGE OF ABYANEH.

EVERY COUNTRY, INCLUDING OUR OWN,

LIMITS ACCESS TO FOREIGN FILM CREWS.

WE'RE HERE IN IRAN

WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT,

AND WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THE LIMITS IT SETS

AS WE EXPLORE THIS COMPLEX SOCIETY.

KNOWING WE'RE HERE TO EXPLORE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIMENSIONS

RATHER THAN CONTENTIOUS POLITICAL ISSUES,

THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWING OUR WORK.

IT BELIEVES THE WESTERN MEDIA HAS GIVEN IRAN AN UNFAIR IMAGE.

THEY GAVE US OUR VISAS PROVIDED WE RESPECT ITS LIMITS,

AS ENFORCED BY OUR GUIDE.

HIS JOB -- KEEP US SAFE,

MANAGE THE COMPLICATED PERMISSIONS,

AND KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING.

TEHRAN, A YOUTHFUL, NOISY CAPITAL CITY,

IS THE MODERN HEART OF THIS COUNTRY.

IT'S A SMOGGY, MILE-HIGH METROPOLIS.

WITH A TEEMING POPULATION OF ABOUT 10 MILLION,

ITS APARTMENT BLOCKS STRETCH FAR INTO THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS.

TRAFFIC IS NOTORIOUS HERE.

MY FIRST IMPRESSION -- WILD DRIVERS.

BUT AFTER SURVIVING MY FIRST DAY,

I REALIZED THEY WERE EXPERTS AT KEEPING THINGS MOVING.

MANY MAJOR STREETS ACTUALLY INTERSECT

WITHOUT THE HELP OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS.

IT'S DIFFERENT, BUT IT SEEMS TO WORK.

TWO WHEELS ARE FASTER THAN FOUR.

HELMET LAWS ARE GENERALLY IGNORED.

AS A MATTER OF FACT,

SOMETIMES THE DIRECTION OF TRAFFIC IS IGNORED AS WELL.

TO CROSS TOWN QUICKLY, MOTORCYCLE TAXIS ARE A BLESSING.

BUT WEAR THAT HELMET -- I'D RATHER

LEAVE A LITTLE PAINT ON PASSING BUSES

THAN A PIECE OF SCALP.

PEDESTRIANS FEND FOR THEMSELVES.

NEGOTIATING TRAFFIC AS YOU CROSS THE STREET

IS A LIFE SKILL HERE.

LOCALS SAY IT'S LIKE GOING TO CHECHNYA.

IMMERSED IN THE COMMOTION OF A BUSY WORK DAY --

APART FROM THE CHADOR-COVERED WOMEN

AND LACK OF WESTERN FAST FOOD CHAINS --

TEHRAN SEEMED MUCH LIKE ANY CITY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.

IF YOU NEED TO GET SOMEWHERE IN A HURRY --

OR IF YOUR MOTORCYCLE TAXI IS UNDER SOME BIG BUS --

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE SUBWAY.

TEHRAN'S THRIVING SUBWAY MOVES OVER A MILLION PEOPLE A DAY.

THIS SUBWAY SYSTEM IS REALLY AS GOOD AS

ANYTHING I'VE SEEN IN EUROPE.

OF IRAN'S 70 MILLION PEOPLE,

WELL OVER HALF ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 30.

WHILE THERE ARE PLENTY OF MINORITIES,

THE PERSIAN POPULATION DOMINATES.

THE LOCAL ETHNICITY REFLECTS

THE TURMOIL OF THIS COUNTRY'S LONG HISTORY.

YOU'LL FIND PEOPLE WITH GREEK, ARAB,

TURK, MONGOL, KURDISH,

AND AZERBAIJANI HERITAGE.

IRANIANS ARE NOT ARABS, AND THEY DON'T SPEAK ARABIC.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE WITH THE PEOPLE OF IRAN.

THEY ARE PERSIANS AND THEY SPEAK FARSI.

FACES SEEM TO TELL A STORY,

AND ARE QUICK TO SMILE...

ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SEE A FILM CREW FROM THE USA.

ACTUALLY, WE FOUND THAT THE EASIEST WAY TO GET A SMILE

WAS TO TELL PEOPLE WHERE WE'RE FROM.

I'M FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

OH, YOU'RE FROM THE UNITED STATES, OKAY.

AMERICA! NO!

YEAH, IT'S TRUE! IT'S ACTUALLY TRUE.

THANK YOU -- THAT'S NICE TO HEAR.

[ CHILDREN CALLING ]

I WAS IMPRESSED BY HOW THE PEOPLE WE MET

WERE CURIOUS AND EAGER TO TALK.

YOUNG, EDUCATED PEOPLE

ARE INTERNET SAVVY AND WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE WEST.

THEY GENERALLY SPOKE SOME ENGLISH.

ANYWHERE FOREIGNERS WENT, SIGNS WERE BILINGUAL --

FARSI FOR LOCALS AND ENGLISH FOR EVERYONE ELSE.

THE SCRIPT LOOKS ARABIC TO ME,

BUT I LEARNED, LIKE THE LANGUAGE,

IT'S FARSI.

THE NUMBERS, HOWEVER, ARE THE SAME

AS THOSE USED IN THE ARAB WORLD.

ANOTHER COMMUNICATION CHALLENGE,

PEOPLE HERE HAVE TO DEAL WITH DIFFERENT CALENDARS --

PERSIAN AND MUSLIM FOR LOCAL AFFAIRS,

WESTERN FOR DEALING WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

WHAT YEAR IS IT? WELL, IT DEPENDS...

AFTER MUHAMMAD, ABOUT 1390 YEARS AGO --

AFTER CHRIST, TWO THOUSAND AND SOME YEARS AGO.

AND ALL THIS COMPLEXITY IS THE RESULT OF

A LONG AND TUMULTUOUS HISTORY.

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRAN

HELPS TO GIVE AN APPRECIATION OF THIS COUNTRY'S RICH HERITAGE.

AT FIRST I WAS DISAPPOINTED

BY WHAT SEEMED LIKE A HUMBLE COLLECTION

FOR SUCH A GREAT CULTURE.

THEN I LEARNED THAT MOST OF ITS TREASURES

WERE DESTROYED OR LOOTED BY INVADERS.

MUCH OF WHAT SURVIVED

WAS TAKEN AWAY TO THE GREAT MUSEUMS IN THE WEST.

THE COLLECTION STARTS IN PREHISTORIC TIMES,

BACK WHEN NOMADIC HUNTERS WERE BECOMING FARMERS.

THIS BRONZE PLAQUE FEATURING GILGAMESH

DATES FROM ABOUT 1000 BC,

A TIME WHEN THIS REGION WAS IN THE REALM OF MESOPOTAMIA.

THEN, IN ABOUT 500 BC,

WITH THE GREAT KINGS DARIUS AND XERXES,

THE MIGHTY PERSIAN EMPIRE WAS ESTABLISHED.

THEIR ART GLORIFIED THEIR KINGS

AND THE NOTION OF PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.

CULTURE FLOURISHED,

AND IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT, WITH CUNEIFORM,

THE PERSIAN LANGUAGE WAS FIRST PUT INTO WRITING.

THAT FIRST PERSIAN EMPIRE WAS CONQUERED

BY ALEXANDER THE GREAT FROM GREECE.

LATER, A SECOND PERSIAN EMPIRE WAS CONQUERED BY ARABS.

THEN CAME INVASIONS BY TURKS AND MONGOLS.

FINALLY, WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A THIRD PERSIAN EMPIRE

IN THE 16th CENTURY, THIS CULTURE ENJOYED A RENAISSANCE.

WHILE IT'S WEATHERED WAVE AFTER WAVE OF CONQUERORS,

THE ESSENCE OF TODAY'S IRANIAN CULTURE

IS STILL ROOTED IN THAT FIRST PERSIAN EMPIRE

FROM 2,500 YEARS AGO.

Narrator: PERSIA, AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY,

A POOR AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY, RICH ONLY IN LEGEND

AND UNDEVELOPED NATURAL RESOURCES...

Steves: IN THE 20th CENTURY,

WITH THE DISCOVERY OF ITS VAST OIL RESERVES,

IRAN BECAME ENTWINED WITH THE WEST.

Narrator: OIL WAS STRUCK AT LAST, AND DRILLING COMMENCED...

Steves: DURING WORLD WAR II,

IRAN WAS A VITAL OIL RESOURCE FOR THE ALLIES.

AFTER THE WAR, IRAN'S YOUNG SHAH, OR KING,

MOHAMMAD REZA SHAH PAHLAVI,

BECAME MORE CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH THE WEST.

OIL FLOWED EASY,

AND HE WAS A FRIEND OF WESTERN OIL COMPANIES.

THEN THINGS CHANGED.

Narrator: OIL AGAIN POSES A THREAT TO PEACE,

AND THE MIDDLE EAST AGAIN BECOMES A TROUBLE SPOT

AS IRAN'S VAST PETROLEUM RESERVES

AROUSE NATIONALISTS...

Steves: IN 1951, THE POPULAR PRIME MINISTER MOSSADEGH

NATIONALIZED IRAN'S FOREIGN-OWNED OIL INDUSTRY.

WITH THE RESULTING TURMOIL,

THE SHAH WAS FORCED INTO EXILE.

THIS IS WHEN THE TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES BEGAN.

EVERY IRANIAN SCHOOL KID KNOWS THE DATE "1953."

THAT'S WHEN THE CIA ENGINEERED A COUP

THAT OVERTHREW THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED

PRIME MINISTER MOSSADEGH.

HE HAD ANGERED THE WEST BY NATIONALIZING IRANIAN OIL,

SO THEY INSTALLED THE PRO-WESTERN SHAH, INSTEAD.

Narrator: FORMER PREMIER MOSSADEGH'S

RUINED HOUSE IS A MUTE TESTIMONY

TO THREE DAYS OF BLOODY RIOTING

CULMINATING IN A MILITARY COUP

FROM WHICH THE ONE-TIME DICTATOR OF IRAN

FLED FOR HIS LIFE.

THE SHAH, WHO HAD FLED TO ROME, COMES HOME.

BACKED BY GENERAL ZAHEDI, MILITARY STRONGMAN,

WHO ENGINEERED HIS RETURN TO POWER.

IRANIAN OIL MAY AGAIN FLOW WESTWARD.

Steves: BACK ON THE THRONE,

THE SHAH ALLOWED WESTERN OIL COMPANIES

TO RUN IRAN'S OIL INDUSTRY AGAIN.

WITH THE PROFITS, HE MODERNIZED THE COUNTRY.

THROUGH THE '60s, THERE WAS A RETURN TO STABILITY

AND THE SHAH WAS A KEY AMERICAN ALLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

THE SHAH RULED IN ROYAL OPULENCE FROM GRAND PALACES.

HE ENJOYED SUMMERS IN THIS ONE UNTIL THE LATE 1970s.

STROLLING THROUGH ITS FINE ROOMS,

VISITORS ARE REMINDED

HOW THE SHAH LIVED IN EXTREME LUXURY.

BUT HIS MATERIALISTIC DECADENCE AND PRO-WESTERN POLICIES

OFFENDED IRAN'S CONSERVATIVES

AND ALIENATED RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL GROUPS.

ANGRY PEOPLE HIT THE STREETS.

THE UNREST LED TO CRACKDOWNS BY THE SHAH'S FORCES

THAT TORTURED AND KILLED THOUSANDS.

ALL OF THIS EMBOLDENED A REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT,

AND BURNED INTO THE NATIONAL PSYCHE

A FEAR OF AMERICAN MEDDLING

IN INTERNAL IRANIAN AFFAIRS.

AFTER 25 YEARS OF THE SHAH'S RULE,

THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION THREW HIM OUT

AND BROUGHT AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI BACK FROM EXILE.

THAT REVOLUTION, AND THE AYATOLLAH,

ESTABLISHED THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC,

WHICH RULES TO THIS DAY.

WALKING THE STREETS HERE,

I FELT A DISTURBING PRESENCE OF GOVERNMENT.

THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY.

IN 1979, THE NEW GOVERNMENT BROUGHT IRAN

NOT FREEDOM, BUT WHAT THEY CALL A "REVOLUTION OF VALUES" --

IT LEGISLATED MORALITY,

SUCH AS NO ALCOHOL AND NO CASUAL SEX.

AS FAR AS MANY PARENTS ARE CONCERNED HERE,

IT'S FAMILY VALUES.

IRAN IS RULED BY A THEOCRACY.

THEY MAY HAVE A PRESIDENT,

BUT THE TOP RELIGIOUS OFFICIAL,

A MAN CALLED "THE SUPREME LEADER,"

HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY.

HIS PICTURE, NOT THE PRESIDENT'S,

IS EVERYWHERE.

RELIGIOUS OFFERING BOXES ARE ON EVERY STREET CORNER.

THE DAYS WHEN THE SHAH'S MEN BOASTED

THAT MINI-SKIRTS IN TEHRAN

WERE SHORTER THAN THOSE IN PARIS ARE CLEARLY LONG GONE.

WOMEN MUST DRESS MODESTLY,

AND ARE SEGREGATED IN PLACES LIKE CLASSROOMS AND BUSES.

AND YET HERE IN THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN,

TO ME THE ATMOSPHERE FELT SURPRISINGLY SECULAR,

COMPARED TO OTHER MUSLIM COUNTRIES.

SKYLINES ARE NOT PUNCTUATED WITH MINARETS.

I BARELY HEARD A CALL TO PRAYER.

EXCEPT FOR WOMEN'S DRESS CODES

AND THE LACK OF AMERICAN PRODUCTS AND ADVERTISING,

LIFE ON THE STREETS HERE

SEEMED MUCH THE SAME AS IN SECULAR CITIES

ELSEWHERE IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.

WHILE RELATIVELY UNCLUTTERED WITH COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING,

THERE ARE PLENTY OF BILLBOARDS AND MURALS,