Nationwide Protests Continue in Iran for Ninth Straight Day

What Happened?

Widespread protests against economic hardships have continued in several different cities and towns in Iran, marking the ninth straight day such protests have been held. According to the United Nations, protests took place in twenty-six of Iran’s thirty-one provinces, and as of Monday, nineteen protestors had been killed by Iranian security forces. 

Responding to the protests, U.S. President Donald Trump said, ‘If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States.’ Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that ‘rioters should be put in their place.’

Why it Matters

These are the largest and longest-lasting public protests Iran has witnessed since 2009. Economic conditions in Iran have been deteriorating, leaving many Iranians without the means to support themselves or afford basic living necessities. Corruption and ideology are the twin drivers of Iran’s economic woes, and both have been defended with armed force by the current Iranian regime. 

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Mr. Khamenei’s statement that rioters ‘need to be put in their place’ is consistent with Iran’s ruling ideology of velayat-e-faqih, which is the religious doctrine created by the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the predecessor of the current supreme leader. The doctrine means rule by the wise, and under that framework, ordinary people are regarded as little more than unthinking brutes who must be ruled and controlled by enlightened religious leaders for their own good. 

Unsurprisingly, velayat-e-faqih also makes the supreme leader the sole authority to decide who is or isn’t one of the religious elite, which turned Iran’s government into a group run by loyalty to the leader and the ideology, not merit or capabilities. Even Iranian scientists must take orders from theologians, which is one reason why Iran has not been able to build a functioning nuclear weapon. In this system, highly intelligent and qualified people are pushed aside for those the religious authorities personally like. 

As a result of appointing unqualified and incompetent officials to government posts, the Iranian government is one of the most corrupt and ineffective on earth. The religious elite enrich themselves and use the state police to terrorize and imprison anyone in Iran who speaks out against them or the current system of governance. Iran’s supreme leader ignores the transgressions of his appointees because they serve his political agenda, which consists solely of him staying in power.

President Trump’s threats against Iran may seem more credible due to the success of U.S. airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear program in 2025, but most Iranians are unlikely to believe him. The U.S. promised to help Iraqi Shi’ites after the First Gulf War, but instead left them to be slaughtered by Saddam Hussein. Iran is a majority Shi’ite nation, and they remember the slaughter of their Iraqi Shi’ite neighbors who were promised American protection. 

How it Affects You

The Iranian regime has been weakened by U.S. and Israeli military successes against Iran and its proxies. The Supreme Leader is eighty-six years old, and though the Iranian government still appears to be firmly in control, that could change very quickly.