Iran Protests: Why Dismantling Ayatollah's Theocracy Remains a Complex Challenge
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Firstpost•19-01-2026, 16:49
Iran Protests: Why Dismantling Ayatollah's Theocracy Remains a Complex Challenge
- •Iran faces complex protests fueled by economic hardship (45% hyperinflation, currency collapse) and political discontent across all 31 provinces.
- •The regime, in power since 1979, has responded with internet shutdowns, telephone disruptions, and brutal crackdowns by IRGC, leading to heavy casualties and arrests.
- •Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei maintains a hardline stance, labeling protesters as terrorists and organizing counter-protests to assert legitimacy.
- •Despite temporary suppression, the regime is shaken; merchant and student communities, crucial in 1979, are now alienated due to economic turmoil and political clampdown.
- •International pressure and domestic outrage led to a rollback on planned executions, but the regime's capacity for repression and unwillingness to compromise remain high.
Why It Matters: Dismantling Iran's theocracy is difficult due to entrenched power, lack of unified opposition, and regime's repressive capacity.
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