Iran (MNN) — Iran’s Foreign Minister calls for an end to United States sanctions. Speaking at an event held by the World Economic Forum, he said Tehran won’t consider nuclear talks until the “maximum pressure” campaign is off.
The demands come as nationwide protests in Iran turn violent. State media reports dozens of arrests, and at least five have died. Demonstrations began earlier this month when the government ended subsidies for wheat and flour; food costs skyrocketed as much as 300 percent.
“I’m happy to see that some people are expressing their opinion over price hikes, but you never know; what will this lead to?” Fadi Shariha of the MENA Leadership Center says.
Similar rallies over fuel price hikes brought Iranians to the streets in 2019. The government’s crackdown turned them into the deadliest protests since the Islamic Republic’s founding in 1979.
Organizing a coup under this regime is easier said than done. “Iran is under extremely high [security] in terms of different armies that they have. You have secret police watching over the police and over the army. It’s very complicated,” Shariha says.
Perceived losses in proxy wars and high geopolitical pressure mean Iran’s leaders are likely to look for a scapegoat. “In the MENA, nothing happens in isolation,” Shariha says.
“What is happening between Russia and Ukraine and the impact on Syria; and, last week with the election in Lebanon [when] the whole coalition of Hezbollah and other parties lost. The impact is great.”
Ask the Lord to protect His secret followers in Iran.
“Please pray for the Church in Iran. Pray that they will have wisdom [regarding] how to navigate around this” situation, Shariha says.
Header image is a representative stock photo from Pixabay.
