Protests have rocked Iran, a brutal crackdown is under way and Trump has threatened to intervene. Ellie Geranmayeh on a dangerous moment for the country’s leaders
Since December, protesters have been out on the streets in Iran. At first it was small shop or business owners, upset at the impossibly high cost of living and a slumping economy made worse by war, corruption and sanctions. But soon the demands swelled – with calls for the end of Iran’s regime. A crackdown followed, then an internet blackout.
For Iranians abroad it was a terrifying time. Mahsa Pirae’s mother was killed by security forces during the “Woman, life, freedom” protests in 2022-23. She tells Annie Kelly of her fear for the rest of her family – her father, brother and friends who are out on the streets demonstrating. “We’re watching the videos and pictures of the dead bodies and we’re looking for a familiar face and every single picture is breaking us.”
Ellie Geranmayeh is a senior policy fellow and deputy head of the Middle East and North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She tells Annie why these protests are different from those that came before, and what Donald Trump’s threats to intervene could do to change the situation.
