VICE co-founder Shane Smith took his camera to the streets of Tehran this week, and the Canadian media veteran couldn’t hide his surprise at what he found there.
During a livestream from a packed commercial district in the Iranian capital, Smith walked through narrow walkways lined with vendors and shoppers. Locals waved, said hello, struck up conversations, and pulled out their phones to film him right back.
The 55-year-old, who built VICE on the back of access-driven reporting from places like North Korea, Iraq, and Liberia, repeatedly noted how warmly he was being received. The market scene looked closer to a busy weekend mall than the militarized image of Iran that often dominates Western headlines.
The clip reminded viewers of classic early-era VICE. Smith made his name dropping into politically loaded countries and reporting from street level, often contrasting the official image of a place with what actually happens on the ground.
Iran has a long-standing reputation among travelers for hospitality. Persian culture places heavy emphasis on welcoming guests, and bazaars in particular are spaces where vendors greet foreigners with tea, questions, and chatter. That tradition tends to surprise viewers used to seeing Iran framed through sanctions, protests, and nuclear talks.
The stream also raised a practical question that nobody has fully answered yet: how did Smith manage to livestream from Tehran at all? Iran has a long history of internet filtering, throttling, and outright shutdowns, with platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and X blocked or restricted. Whether Smith used a special SIM, satellite hardware, or had official press clearance hasn’t been confirmed.
Also unclear is whether the trip is tied to a larger documentary project or a personal venture. Smith stepped back from his CEO role at VICE years ago, but his on-camera instincts clearly haven’t gone anywhere.
