(Foundation for Defense of Democracies) Saeed Ghasseminejad - Tehran's decision to risk public backlash by sharply raising the price of gasoline indicates that Washington's economic pressure is forcing the regime to risk its political stability in order to prevent a financial collapse. Ignited by gasoline prices, the protests quickly turned to demands for an end to dictatorship, religious rule, and the bankrolling of Hizbullah, Hamas, and Bashar al-Assad. The protests are a testament to the effectiveness of Washington's maximum pressure campaign. Accordingly, the U.S. should double down on its pressure, especially with tougher enforcement of sanctions already on the books. The writer is a senior Iran and financial economics advisor at FDD.
2019-11-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive