Iran’s regime, relying on repression, faces eroding public support and legitimacy, caught between internal unrest and the threat of external conflict. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/23/world/protests-leave-irans-supreme-leader-trapped/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #ayatollahalikhamenei #iran #us #israel #islamicrevolutionaryguardcorps #irgc #internet #freespeech
Despite Iran’s nationwide protests and years of external pressure, there are no signs yet of fracture in the Islamic Republic’s security elite that could bring an end to its government. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/14/world/politics/iran-cleric-explainer-protest/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #iran #ayatollahalikhamenei #middleeast
Iranian protesters have stepped up their challenge to the clerical leadership with the biggest protests yet of nearly two weeks of rallies sparked by the rial currency’s plunge to record lows. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/09/world/iran-protests-escalate/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #iran #ayatollahalikhamenei #rezapahlavi #donaldtrump #masoudpezeshkian
Amid a wave of anti-government protests, some in Tehran fear U.S. President Donald Trump could shift his attention to Iran following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/06/world/politics/iran-protests-us-venezuela-fears/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #us #iran #venezuela #masoudpezeshkian #ayatollahalikhamenei #donaldtrump #nicolasmaduro
A three-man committee from a top clerical body, appointed to identify the successor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has accelerated planning in recent days since Israel attacked Iran, sources say. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/24/world/politics/succession-plans-iran-khamenei/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #ayatollahalikhamenei #iran #middleeast