Iran protests spread despite crackdown as U.S. action in Venezuela weighs on minds

Antigovernment protests in Iran that began late last year spread across the country last week and continued over the weekend despite an escalating crackdown by authorities; rights groups estimate at least 200 people have been killed. The demonstrations have been driven mainly by economic distress — sanctions, years of mismanagement and corruption have sent prices soaring, eroded savings and left unemployment high.

The crash of the rial on Dec. 28 is described as a tipping point: bazaar merchants helped launch the unrest, and protests have since spread to universities and poorer towns, producing images of government buildings on fire and prompting an internet shutdown. Observers and protesters say events in Venezuela have shifted calculations.

A surprise U.S. operation that toppled Venezuela’s president and seized Nicolás Maduro, and President Trump’s repeated threats — including that the U.S. was once “locked and loaded” and his comment, “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” — have been widely discussed in Iran.

Coverage of Venezuela on state television and in official posts has left Iran’s leadership “very anxious,” and protesters are “very much on everyone’s mind,” according to a reporter covering the protests. Questions remain about what comes next. Human rights groups say the death toll appears to be rising fast and U.S.

Key Topics

World, Iran, Iranian Rial, Nicolas Maduro, Donald Trump, Internet Shutdown