Iranians demand—and deserve—a less oppressive regime
For now, alas, they probably won’t get one
BIG things often have small beginnings. In the case of the protests engulfing Iran, it was a steep rise in the price of eggs. That was why hundreds of people first took to the streets in Mashhad, Iran’s second city, on December 28th. They demanded the resignation of Hassan Rouhani, the reformist president, for failing to bring prosperity to most Iranians.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Berating the tyrants of Tehran”
From the January 6th 2018 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Leaders
More storms are brewing in the South China Sea
A dangerous new stage in the conflict is beginning
How to finish Japan’s business revolution
Tokyo-listed companies have become more friendly to shareholders, but the job is only half-done
America’s election is mired in conflict
Donald Trump’s conspiracy machine is already gearing up for election night
Nigeria’s catastrophic fuel crisis has a straightforward solution
How to scrap a popular yet ruinous subsidy
Mario Draghi’s best ideas are those Europe finds least comfortable
The danger is that it picks the easy ones
The Labour government’s worrying lack of ambition in Europe
Sir Keir Starmer is trapped by the mindset of the post-Brexit years