Alontsev: «The peculiarity of the protests in Iran in recent years is the absence of a single leading force»An Iran expert, associate professor at HSE, on what is happening in IranWhat is really happening in Iran: are external players or the economic situation in the region to blame for the unrest? — Who is the main driving force behind the protests and does it have a main driving, leading force? The peculiarity of the protests in recent years in Iran is the absence of any single leading force. The current leadership accuses the Pahlavi regime they overthrew of being godless, and its supporters, in response, construct an image of a «secular» Iran of the Shah's times. — Some protesters (the Iranian authorities call them «rioters» and «terrorists») consider mosques to be one of the main symbols of the regime.

Source: Washington Post January 16, 2026 21:24 UTC