Protests in Iran increase

[Ihatetomatoes]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7y0579lp8o.amp

Absolutely, tankies and third worlders (the ideological movement not people from developing countries) have no idea. I’m bloody grateful, in my country of origin my dad was a communist as a student and got beaten up quite badly by the police some of his friends were tortured with electric shocks. These people lecturing Venezuelans and Iranians right now don’t know shit or just don’t actually care.

Yes @mids2019 I do appreciate living in a country with free speech, equal rights for women and other democratic things that authoritarian regimes aim to stifle.

Indeed we should not forget the below.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahsa_Amini_protests

Women are completely depressed by this regime and we need people to call this out without fear of offence......

If you want to see an actual apartheid regime its Iran - sex apartheid.

This 💯 these people need support to overthrow their evil theocratic rulers. Pure evil. Hundreds killed, possibly more, who knows.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp

So not the UK, then?

Yes I remember the Iran of the 70s and the 1979 revolution.
It would be easy to fall into the trap of viewing that period with rose tinted glasses. The regime of the Shah was corrupt but the position of women was far, far better in 1979 than now.

Iran has a young population and those on the streets now have been born into the current repressive regime and have known nothing else.
I sincerely hope Iran doesn't go the way of most countries where revolution just results in another dictator.

Reality check: Yes we have free speech in the UK and Yes we have equal rights for women.

The old Shah's son says he's ready to rule! I hope for everyone's sakes there's not a return to pre 1979 situation which prompted the overthrow of his father in the first place.

That's not much of a contribution to the discussion.
The UK may have it's faults but is light years away from dictatorships like Iran

Agree, I'm not sure the Pahlavi really have strong, widespread support. People are desperate to see the back of the ayatollahs.

He said to oversee a transitional government to democracy.

I really hope this comes quickly.

So many brave people dying.

I wonder what people's thoughts are about the responses of Labour and the Conservatives in this? Personally the Conservatives I feel are a lot more robust and I have no problem with our armed forces supporting the US if it in some ways can aid the protestors in Iran. I would feel bad if they are pushed under the bus on this given Trumps rhetoric and there is no support.

Labour I think although condemning the regime (though not is the strongest terms ) are shying away from military action or endorsing the US position. I wonder if this is because the hard left in the party simply hate Israel and Trump and would rather protesters does than seen to be supporting a country many in the party dislike?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/09/the-guardian-view-on-irans-protests-old-tactics-of-repression-face-new-pressures

The Guardian trying to downplaying impact of military action by the US but the question is can we stand back and do nothing?

The revolutionary guard might be less likely to deploy if they see their based destroyed with shock and awe tactics. Senior military figures might see the writing on the wall and hasten the end of the regime by fleeing or waiting to see what happens. The morale good to the protest Ord seeing infrastructure of the state dismantled would bring more to the streets and act to provide the moment in for revolution.

(Maybe the Guardian just hates aiding with Trump and maybe Israel on this)

Labour are in a pickle witj their competing constituencies and Starmer is trapped in terms of managing Trump in 3 simultaneous crises. Some of these are problems of his own making but I think he is in an impossible situation. Being robust about Iran, though, should be easy.

To be fair, its easy for the Tories because they dont have to actually do anything

So often in the middle east it feels like stability is achieved with the least worst governance. But Iran/Persia is a vast, rich country with centuries of history and culture to draw on.
If Iran ceases to be the assumed support of much Islamic terrorism and South American drug cartels, will those structures collapse or at least be weakened? (that would be world changing) Or will the weaponisation of Khomeini's caliphate dreams by other power players be exposed.
What happens there now will impact the world, a little Google tells me the population and land mass are about 20% of the middle east.
I would hope for them to have functional secular democracy rather than what some call western liberal democracy, because the boundaries of liberalism will be in a very different place for each country and many are struggling to find an equilibrium consensus there.
There are remote areas in the country where feelings will be very different from that in the cities I'm sure.

I agree it's easy for the Tories because they don't have to actually do anything.

Whichever party is in Opposition always seems to me to say more sensible things. Hence I'm a floating voter who invariably gets disappointed by the party I voted for if they actually get into power.

I think I've worked it out finally - they're all rubbish when in power.

You see I think that's a bit unfair! Realpolitik is hard and global crises can land in your intray unexpectedly. I don't think anyone predicted the Venzuela and Iranian crises erupting at the same time. I don't know how senior politicians get a wink of sleep.

Ok it's a bit unfair. I don't know how senior politicians cope with all the flak they get either.

Must be worse than being an Israel supporter on the CITME board😉

They usually age in dog years when they actually have to take charge.

Very true. I remember Tony Blair being all fresh faced and smiley when he became PM. The years were not kind to him.

😂

XTwitter is by far the best venue on this topic at the moment.

Persians are rejecting the Mullahs and the imposition of Islam.
Mosques are being burned.
This is a local uprising.
Interference by Isreal or the USA would make it worse not better.
The calls for the return of Pahlavi seem to be primarily that he is a focal point for change.
Few Iranians remember how awful his father was.