This is probably the first (rhetorical) exploration of Persian stand-up comedy. In this inquiry, a rhetorical approach is taken to explore humor styles and techniques employed in seven stand-up performances. These performances were performed by two Iranian comedians, the finalists from a recent (and probably the first) Persian stand-up comedy contest in Iran. Initially, Asian stand-up comedy is briefly addressed. Then, Persian stand-up comedy is introduced within the continuum of Iranian performing traditions. Afterward, the typology, unit of analysis and the communication framework used in this inquiry are elaborated on. Having established the historical and theoretical preliminaries, the article reports on and debates the findings. Particularly, the rhetorical devices employed by the comedians to generate humor are highlighted. Moreover, several aspects of the interaction between the comedians and the audience are addressed. Finally, the paper indicates several directions of Persian stand-up comedy, the inquiry’s limitations and suggestions for further inquiry.