Iran Is Facing Its Deepest Crisis Since the 1979 Revolution
Discontent over dire economic conditions lay behind the protest wave that rocked Iran earlier this month. A US attack will make things even worse for the Iranian people, whether or not it results in the regime change Donald Trump would like to see.
Repression of opposition currents inside Iran that called for the transformation of its system has created a political vacuum. Well-funded monarchist TV channels have been working to fill the space, promoting a whitewashed view of the shah’s old regime. (Anonymous / Getty Images)
The wave of protests that rocked Iran earlier this month was one of the biggest challenges the Islamic Republic has faced since the revolution of 1979. The state security forces appear to have contained the protests after harsh repression that resulted in thousands of deaths, but the country is still facing a deep economic crisis that underpins popular discontent. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is threatening to launch another attack on Iran, with a major buildup of forces in the region.
We spoke to Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi, a scholar of contemporary Iranian politics, about the development of the protests, the response of Iran’s rulers, and the possible consequences of US military aggression. Eskandar is an assistant professor of the international relations of the Middle East at the University of St Andrews and the author of Revolution and Its Discontents: Political Thought and Reform in Iran. This is an edited transcript from Jacobin’s Long Reads podcast. You can listen to the interview here.
Daniel Finn
Before coming to the protests that began at the end of December, could you give us a quick summary of the main developments between the end of the Twelve-Day War last summer and the beginning of the protests?
Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi
This article is for subscribers only. Please login or subscribe to access our full archives and beautiful print and digital magazine starting at just $3 a month.