| 4 Jan 2018 – In Tehran, Iran’s capital, residents are sitting out the protests that have spread to other cities, unlike in 2009, when millions of middle-class people erupted in anger over an election they saw as rigged. |
| The state news media gave copious coverage to orchestrated pro-government rallies as the authorities tried to re-establish order. |
| There remains no evidence for Iranian leaders’ claim that foreign meddling had instigated the protests, but history does offer reasons for such suspicion. |
| European reluctance to side more openly with the protesters is the latest divergence of approach with the Trump administration, which has openly praised demonstrators.
a) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/world/middleeast/iran-protests.html?emc=edit_mbe_20180104&nl=morning-briefing-europe&nlid=73143833&te=1
b) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/world/europe/europe-iran-trump.html?emc=edit_mbe_20180104&nl=morning-briefing-europe&nlid=73143833&te=1 |