The recent wave of demonstrations against the Iranian regime has been powerful partly because it gathers so many streams of dissent — from Iran and the diaspora; from women’s rights activists and working-class Iranians angry about living standards; and from the diverse ethnic groups in Iran.
Iran’s economic troubles, which catalyzed protests, stem partly from harsh U.S. economic sanctions imposed by President Trump last year as the United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement. The United States has promoted the recent signs of unrest. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said last Tuesday that U.S. agencies have collected more than 20,000 videos and other protest messages from inside Iran, despite the regime’s attempts to block the Internet.
In recent interviews, dissident Iranians in the United States described intimidation by Tehran’s operatives, including death threats. Where Saudi Arabia’s suppression of dissent, including the brutal murder of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi, has rightly been condemned, Iran’s assaults have received less attention.
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