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The Iranian Protests Continue and Are Shaking the Unity of the Conservative Camp in Iran

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Lt.-Col. (ret.) Michael Segall and Iran Desk - In the year since the electoral triumph of President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran has been awash with protests by teachers, factory workers, pensioners, bazaar merchants, drivers, and professional unions. The average monthly income of a senior government official or a veteran high school teacher, which stood several months ago at $250, has fallen to less than $170. The regime is performing an economic "emergency operation," removing subsidies for basic commodities. This has led to price rises for all essential and nonessential services. Tens of millions of middle-class families are now under the poverty line. Since June 16, protests have been held in at least 40 cities. Based on several unconfirmed reports, in the recent demonstrations, the security and law-enforcement arms apparently defied their commanders' orders and did not crack down very hard on demonstrators. Their families, too, are suffering from the economic woes, and the regime has stopped granting them special economic privileges. With no improvement in sight, President Raisi finds himself under fire including from among his own conservative camp, which currently dominates all the governmental institutions and the regime's power centers. At the same time, the opposition to the regime is weak, divided, and disorganized. The writers are senior analysts at the Jerusalem Center.
2022-06-23 00:00:00
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