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Drew Binsky is a travel YouTuber. He decided to roadtrip across Iran just because the U.S. State Department warns Americans not to travel there. He says he encountered a beautiful country full of welcoming people. But as luck would have it, he posted his travel video just as the Israel-Iran war began. With Iran in headlines everywhere, it’s no wonder his video has racked up millions of views.

First and foremost, Binsky doesn’t recommend Americans travel to Iran now. He may have posted his Iran travel video on June 14th, but it wasn’t filmed recently. He said, “Please note that this video was filmed and edited months before the recent escalation between Israel and Iran. While the timing is challenging, I believe it’s essential to share stories that highlight the people, culture, and humanity of a country, especially when headlines focus mostly on conflict.”

Binsky simply applied for a visa, waited three months, and flew to Iran. He admitted his cameraman had some visa trouble, but that’s because of a recent citizenship change. Binsky met his local tour guide, Amin, at the airport.

Roadtripping a Peugeot Pars across Iran

Because Binsky’s goal was to meet Iranians, he and Amin decided to roadtrip across the country. They took Amin’s white Peugeot Pars from the city of Shiraz, north into the countryside.

One fascinating aspect of life in modern Iran is that embargos prevent Iranians from getting western credit cards. They can travel out of the country, but often go to a brick-and-mortar travel agent to book plane tickets, and pay with cash. They also need to travel with a ton of cash because they can’t withdraw money in other countries.

Binsky’s roadtrip had its challenges, such as dust storms. But there were also some upsides to driving in Iran. He found the culture very hospitable, and the locals generous. Also, gas is absurdly cheap. At the filling station he said, “Because Iran is such an oil rich country, it costs about $1.50 to fill up this entire car. It’s subsidized by the government, so it is literally dirt cheap.”

Binsky concluded, “Iran is an absolutely amazing country, and I hope you will watch this video with compassion and an open mind!…People are people everywhere, the problem is between our governments” You can see his roadtrip video embedded below: