Donald Trump tweeted the following concerning the wave of anti-regime protests sweeping Iran:
Many reports of peaceful protests by Iranian citizens fed up with regime’s corruption & its squandering of the nation’s wealth to fund terrorism abroad. Iranian govt should respect their people’s rights, including right to express themselves. The world is watching! #IranProtests
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 30, 2017
What started out as a series of economic protests in select cities in Iran has turned into the largest wave of anti-regime protests in Iran since the failed Green Movement. Despite the show of force by the regime protests keep growing threatening to spiral out of control.
#Update48– #Tehran, anti riot forces and equipments being transferred to places in which most protesters are.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/BkyIuP5wRZ
— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) December 30, 2017
#Update48– #Tehran, anti riot forces and equipments being transferred to places in which most protesters are.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/BkyIuP5wRZ
— Raman Ghavami (@Raman_Ghavami) December 30, 2017
Unlike the Green Movement, which many blame Obama for not backing at the same time he backed the Arab Spring, Donald Trump has gone out and warned Iran. Does this mean he will step in. Absolutely not, but what is clear is that his vocal support maybe key in helping to further destablize what is seen as a brutal theocratic regime.
With Iran on the move across the Middle East, the regime has pumped billions of dollars into bolstering its proxies while many of its citizens suffer from economic woes.
For this revolution to succeed, it cannot be seen as a Western inspired uprising, but rather homegrown in nature. So far that seems to be the case. While the IRCG and the security forces are brutal, the populace must hang in there for this to have long term consequences for the Ayatollahs and their supporters. With internal divisions growing in Iran, it is clear that this may take off.
Yet, if the Iranian regime believes this uprising threatens its very existance, war may be the regime’s only way out.
