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Ted Cruz: “Prior to 1979, Iran was not a theocratic state. It was a…”

Featuring: Ted Cruz, Republican | U.S. Senate, Texas

A Message to the Iranian People: You Can Change the World Right Now, plus WHY it Matters For America

Published January 12, 2026 | Video Starts at 15:53

And look, I gotta say, I have a lot of friends in the Iranian American community in the United States, a lot of the Persian community that fled, many of them fled starting in 1979 when the Islamic Revolution happened. You know, Prior to 1979, Iran was not a theocratic state. It was a secular state. It had a booming commercial sector. It has vast oil reserves. It had a very, very educated population. And it was very successful. (15:53–16:01)

CLAIM

Asserts that Iran was a secular state before 1979.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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