Protests and Riots Across Iran Enter Tenth Day: Could This Time Be Different?

Widespread protests have entered their tenth day across Iran, where demonstrators have expressed discontent at the country's current economic woes. Noting the country's history of protest, media commentators have questioned whether protests could bring real change this time.

The Details: As of January 5, BBC News (Center bias) reported demonstrations have spread to 26 provinces and resulted in at least 20 deaths. Some demonstrators have called for the end of the country's current leadership, which has vowed to "deal firmly" with those inciting riots. US President Donald Trump said on January 4 that if protestors continued to die, Iran would be "hit very hard."

For Context: Iran, which has dealt with 40% annual inflation, a devalued currency, and rising unemployment, has faced long-standing sanctions from the US and other Western nations. Last week, President Trump expressed support for another Israeli bombing of Iran if it were to expand its missile stockpile.

Different This Time: In an opinion published by Al Jazeera (Lean Left), Mahjoob Zweiri explained that such demonstrations have been common in Iran in recent decades and questioned, "To what extent do sanctions explain Iran's economic crisis, and where does governance bear responsibility?" Zweiri said Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has "for the first time… publicly acknowledged that responsibility for Iran's economic situation cannot be placed solely on sanctions," and that this competes with a narrative put forth by the "security establishment," which "continues to emphasize the role of external actors in inciting unrest and targeting the regime." Zweiri says this "widens the gap between the regime and society" and "places pressure on both political and security institutions to respond differently if the survival of the political system is to be ensured."

Same Old: The National Review's Editors (Right) described "a melancholy story that has been repeated over the years" in Iran, where the government has quelled protests using violence and "mass arrests." The Editors added, "Will the outcome be any different now? The best guess, unless the current spontaneous protests can cohere into something more organized, is no." The Editors expressed skepticism toward President Trump's threat to intervene but argued that the US should side with protestors and hope for an eventual regime change in Iran, nonetheless.

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