"A critical moment looms for Iran, and so for the Middle East. The global consequences of any upheaval in Tehran have been made amply clear since the revolution in 1979 that ushered in the rule of radical Islamist clerics. In Oman, the Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and his team have begun indirect talks with a high-powered US delegation. Many analysts believe the gap between the two sides is too wide to be bridged, and that a conflict is inevitable."
"Just this weekend, having already threatened military action, Donald Trump said regime change is the the best thing that could happen in Iran. The tension, and risks grow higher. The hold on Iran of those who came to power in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution is now at stake. The ultimate objective of the US appears to be regime change."
"about our hopes and our fears. One obvious parallel is the central role of economics. Soaring inflation was a key trigger for the most recent unrest. It was almost 50 years ago as well. In 1977, the price of basic consumer goods rose as much as 27%. Then, too, the key actors were shopkeepers and businessmen in Tehran's bazaar whose livelihoods were threatened."
A critical moment looms for Iran with indirect Iran–US talks in Oman occurring amid deep mistrust and analysts warning of an unbridgeable gap. US rhetoric and threats, including calls for regime change, intensify pressure. December 2025–January 2026 saw the largest protests since the early 1980s, with hundreds of thousands from Mashhad to Abadan. Economic distress, especially soaring inflation and rising consumer prices, triggered much of the unrest, echoing 1977 inflation and bazaar-led protests. A cycle of repression, grief and protest is emerging, recalling 1978 mass demonstrations after a conservative newspaper insulted Ayatollah Khomeini and religious students marched in Qom.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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