Eruption of deadly unrest in the streets tests Iranian rule
Iran has been rocked by its most widespread anti-government protests since a disputed presidential election in 2009. Six days of unrest across the country have resulted in more than 20 deaths and hundreds of arrests.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accused the country’s enemies of meddling in protest rallies.
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called Tuesday for an emergency U.N. meeting to discuss the crisis.
Q: What are the protests about?
A: The unrest started Thursday as a protest over Iran’s beleaguered economy. Unemployment is 12%, and the costs of basic necessities, such as dairy products, have been climbing.
The protests widened to a more general expression of anger over accusations of government corruption and discontent with Iran’s clerical rulers. There have been calls for Khamenei to step aside.
Q: Where are the protests taking place?
A: The protests kicked off in the northeast city of Mashad when people
took to the streets to protest President Hassan Rouhani’s failure to deliver on promised economic prosperity after Iran reached a nuclear deal with world powers. As news of the protests spread on social media through Telegram and WhatsApp — which are widely used in Iran — protests erupted in other cities, including Isfahan and the capital, Tehran.
Q: How has the government responded?
A: Security services have used force and tear gas to disperse crowds. At least 21 people have been killed and 450 arrested nationwide, according to Iranian media.
Tehran’s Revolutionary Court warned Tuesday that the people who have been arrested could face the death penalty when they come to trial.
Iranian authorities also have tried to slow and, in some cases, block access to the Internet and ban international calls.
At the same time, Rouhani struck a conciliatory tone and said protesters have a right to be heard as long as they do so “according to the constitution.”
Without naming a country or organization, Khamenei accused Iran’s enemies Tuesday of meddling in the protest rallies.
Q: How has the White House reacted?
A: Since the protests started, President Trump has taken to Twitter on multiple occasions to let Iran’s government know he is watching closely. He expressed solidarity with the protesters and sympathy for their poor economic prospects.
Trump characterized the protests as a direct result of Iran’s foreign policy in the Middle East. “The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism,” he said in one tweet.
On Tuesday, the administration called on Iran to stop blocking Instagram and other social media sites and encouraged Iranians to use special software to circumvent controls, such as virtual private networks known as VPNs, Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein said.
Q: What happens next?
A: Iran’s security forces crushed the Green Movement in 2009, when millions marched over the disputed reelection of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The scale of the past week’s protests is much smaller, and it is not clear how much public dissent Iran’s government is willing to tolerate.
Trump is considering new sanctions on those responsible for the crackdown on protesters, White House aide Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday.
Trump faces a congressional dead- line this month on whether to certify that Iran meets the terms of the nuclear accord it reached in 2015 with the United States and other nations.
“The people (of Iran) are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered.” President Trump