President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from an area in Syria between Turkish and Kurdish forces was supposed to be a victory for Russia and Iran. Supposedly Iran would control the entire arc of the Levant from Baghdad to Beirut.
Once again the media has misled the public. During the last two weeks protestors in Iran have literally set the place on fire. The ability of Iran’s government to control their own country is in serious jeopardy. There has been scant mention of this in US media.
Iranian protesters are on the streets in dozens of towns and cities across the country as anger spreads following a government decision to double/triple the price of fuel. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, came out in support of the government’s decision to increase gasoline prices and called those setting fire to public property “bandits” backed by the enemies of Iran.
Anti-regime protesters torched around 731 banks in nationwide unrest. More than 100 government offices have also been torched. Protesters also turned their anger at symbols of the regime, setting fire to banners and billboards depicting Ayatollah Khamenei and Islamic propaganda.
This appears to be the result of US sanctions. The oil industry is broken, the economy is dead in the water, inflation is at 30 percent and rising, there’s little food, and little hope for younger Iranians. These demonstrations could easily become a referendum on the incompetent and corrupt government currently in power.
The government’s response has been much more brutal than in previous outbreaks of protest, such as in 2017-2018, including a near-total shutdown of the internet and unrestrained use of violence by security forces. It has been reported that more than 200 demonstrators have been killed so far and more than 4,000 arrested. Besides police, the regime has deployed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Shi’a Basij militia against unarmed protesters. Forces loyal to the regime were using live ammunition against unarmed demonstrators, according to the German newspaper Bild. The IRGC, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, used machine guns against unarmed students and civilians.
Iran had been financing jihadist terrorism around the world. However, this regime is one that is supported by most elite Democrats. Recently former Secretary of State John Kerry has reportedly been busy advising the Iranian regime on how to maneuver around the current U.S. policy. He has been doing this in apparent violation of US law.
Democratic candidate Joe Biden has accused President Trump of “walking away from diplomacy” by pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. This regime is now gunning down its own people in broad daylight. Just what did the Obama administration think Iran would do with the nuclear weapons that they were trying to build?
Once again PDJT was advanced the cause of freedom without using US military forces. It certainly appears that the mullahs that run Iran are losing control of the country. Hopefully a more enlightened group of people will take control and bring Iran into the league of civilized nations.