Why Iran's Streets are on Fire Again and What it Really Means

Описание: Summary:

Iran’s latest wave of protests did not begin with activists or students. It began with prices. After the government changed how importers access subsidized foreign currency, the cost of basic goods like chicken and cooking oil spiked overnight and shelves emptied. Shopkeepers closed their stores, triggering demonstrations that spread nationwide. Within days, crowds escalated to chanting “Death to Khamenei,” directly targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the figure who holds real power in Iran. When protests move from economic frustration to personal attacks on the supreme leader, the regime treats them as an existential threat.

What makes this moment different is who sparked it. The unrest began with the bazaaris, Iran’s traditional merchant class and one of the Islamic Republic’s historic pillars that helped finance the 1979 revolution. Their involvement signals that the regime’s economic base is cracking, not just its public image. The government’s attempt to calm the unrest backfired, offering cash handouts of roughly seven dollars per person, a move widely seen as insulting amid soaring living costs. Combined with years of sanctions, corruption, currency collapse, and repression, the protests highlight a system increasingly reliant on force rather than legitimacy, raising questions about how long fear alone can keep it standing.

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