Popular anger burns in Iran after crackdown, as Trump turns up pressure

"As Iran heads into a second round of nuclear talks with the United States in Geneva on Tuesday, under the threat of U.S. forces building up in the region, Tehran is attempting to project strength and unity. But seething popular anger has not abated in the weeks following a government crackdown that killed thousands of protesters, according to accounts from inside the country."

"Iran remains a nation in shock. The government crackdown left more than 7,000 people dead, more than 6,500 of them protesters, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based advocacy organization for rights in Iran. The figure is expected to climb. Thousands are missing and families are still in mourning. A campaign of arrests continues, some businesses have reopened and schools are back in session, but many parents report keeping their children at home."

""Some of us don't work because we are still grieving, but some of us cannot work because there are no reliable prices," said a Tehran shopkeeper, 40. Inflation has skyrocketed since the crackdown, and with the added threat of U.S. strikes, no one wants to spend any money, he said. He has been increasing the prices of goods in his shop almost daily. Like others in Iran interviewed for this article, he spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation."

Iran is entering a second round of nuclear talks with the United States while facing the threat of U.S. forces building up in the region. Tehran is attempting to project strength and unity even as widespread anger persists after a brutal government crackdown that killed thousands. A partial rollback of a communications blackout has allowed more information to surface, revealing a deeply traumatized society and ongoing waves of arrests. The crackdown left thousands dead and missing, businesses are reopening cautiously, schools have resumed amid fear, inflation has surged, and many citizens are too unsettled to spend, reducing political and economic maneuverability.

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