Al-Monitor – Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), spoke to reporters Jan. 3 about the protests that have rocked Iran in the last week and hinted that a former government official may have been involved in initially starting the protests that quickly spiraled out of control. When asked by reporters whether it was …

PayvandNews – Iran’s leadership, especially the hardliners, has attributed the latest protests in several major Iranian cities, including the capital Tehran, to plots by the enemies of Islam and the Iranian Revolution, particularly America, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Senior officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have also warned that those who are dreaming of ending the revolution will …

CHRI – For the first time since the mass protests of 2009, the Islamic Republic of Iran has imposed tighter than usual restrictions on internet access to curb the distribution of images, videos and reports about the nationwide protests that began on December 28, 2017. The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned that internet access in Iran …

PayvandNews – Iran’s leaders appear to be divided about the reasons behind the anti-government protests roiling the country, who the demonstrators are and how to curtail the unrest – the most significant challenge to Iran’s clerical leadership since 2009, when authorities resorted to a nationwide crackdown to crush the pro-democracy “green movement.” Political Experts Offer Suggestions on Reducing Tensions Supreme …

Reuters – Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have deployed forces to three provinces to put down anti-government unrest after six days of protests that have rattled the clerical leadership and left 21 people dead. The protests, which began last week over economic hardships suffered by the young and working class, have evolved into a rising against the powers and privileges of …

VOA – U.S. President Donald Trump promised new support for the Iranian people Wednesday, even as Iran’s state media reported that tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators staged rallies across the country after days of anti-government protests.

RFL/RE – United Nations rights officials joined Amnesty International in urging Tehran to stop the scheduled execution of an Iranian man who was convicted of raping and killing a child when he was a teenager.

VOA  — “Part of me is feeling hope,” said Arash Azizi, a New York University researcher, far from his home in Iran. “We see the rising up of the downtrodden.”

VOA – In 2009, the world watched as Iranians marching in the streets turned to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to organize and share information.

RFL/RE – A senior U.S. administration official says the United States is considering imposing new sanctions on Iran over its crackdown on antigovernment protests, which have led to clashes between demonstrators and security forces and left at least 22 people dead.