US sanctions have had a negative impact on the Iranian economy limiting European and some American companies investing and trading with Iran.
The Iranian regime focused on the 2015 nuclear deal to the detriment of domestic issues, inflation and youth unemployment.
Iran is owed billions of dollars that continue to be frozen under the many economic sanctions imposed on the country which were supposed to be released once the nuclear deal was signed. This undoubtedly contributes to the domestic issues being protested against.
As for the neo-con inspired and hoped for regime change in Iran; it ain't gonna happen. The Iranian's may have legitimate domestic grievances against the regime. But Iran isn't Iraq or Syria. Any direct aggression against Iran would unite the Iranian people around the regime whether that aggressor be the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia or their proxy mercenaries.
A war with Iran would be a catastrophe, likely bring a world-wide economic depression particularly over oil production and distribution. The Strait of Hormuz off the Iranian coast would surely be mined by Iran preventing 25% of the world's oil from traversing the Persian Gulf into the open ocean. And ballistic missiles from Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza would surely rain on Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Let's finally put it this way. Iran has internal problems but is certainly not a threat to preemptively attack any of its adversaries.
But if Iran is attacked, it will defend itself. The people will rally around the regime and unite against their adversaries.
Israel and Saudi Arabia could well be destroyed in a conflict with Iran. Meanwhile Russia and China would likely side with Iran possibly escalating the conflict into a wider world war.
Domestic protests inside Iran are one thing. Attack by any outside adversary would be horrific for the world.
Do the "great" minds in White House, around the Beltway, the Pentagon, CIA, NSA, think tank land, "deep state" contemplate any of this or are they so steeped in their own self delusions of US exceptionalism, the indispensible country and other nonsense they believe in we/they will emerge victorious from the wreckage they perpetrate?
That's what so scary.
[1] "Iran's Protests & Why They Failed" by Sayed Mostafa Mousavi, Information Clearing House, January 8, 2018
[2] "Special Report: Are the Long-Term US Regime Change Efforts behind Iran Protests?", podcast interview with Mostafa Afzalzadeh by Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese, podcast on "Popular Resistance.org, "Clearing the Fog" radio, January 5, 2018
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