Commentary
Iran’s clerics had learned by late November that they could—absent any international scrutiny—suppress opposition protests comprehensively, harshly, and without repercussions.
But is it a long-term solution for the Islamic Republic?
The most comprehensive national protests since 2019-20’s—when there were more than 1,500 known civilian deaths—were becoming weaker by late November, but only because the clerical government used major military formations, including artillery, against civilian groups. There was no way of measuring how extensive the death toll and damage to property were from the government’s actions. Still, the death toll likely exceeded the 2019 levels, despite human rights organizations reporting only 378 deaths by Nov. 19….