People of Iran keep rising up against tyranny, and we should help them |
Iranians have once again taken to the streets in defiance of their Islamist and authoritarian government.
What began as demonstrations triggered by economic grievances — with the rial plummeting to nearly 1.4 million against the dollar on the free market — quickly spiraled into wholesale political protests against the Islamic Republic itself.
Anti-regime slogans have echoed through multiple cities, with Iranians bravely risking life and limb to tell the world they refuse to bend to tyranny.
This marks the first major multi-day, multi-city national uprising since the 12-Day War in June against Israel and the US that devastated the regime’s military capabilities and regional proxy network.
While that conflict left Tehran weaker than ever against armed adversaries abroad, at home the regime has relied on a calculated cocktail, permitting limited social openings like public concerts and selective hijab enforcement, coupled with brutal repression of political dissent.
Yet here’s what policymakers in Washington need to understand: The question isn’t whether these protests are “different this time.”
It’s the remarkable consistency that should be setting off alarm bells.
Since December 2017, Iran has witnessed a sustained pattern of nationwide uprisings........