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Head of Iran's Central Bank resigns amid protests as rial hits record low. Reports of security forces shooting directly at protesters in Hamadan

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essentialsaltes

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The resignation of Mohammad Reza Farzin was reported by state TV, as hundreds of traders and shopkeepers rallied in Saadi Street in downtown Tehran as well as in the Shush neighborhood near Tehran's main Grand Bazaar.

Anti-regime outlet Iran International (live updates):

Protests spread to several Iranian cities, with chants targeting Khamenei​

  • Protest rallies turned violent in several parts of Iran, with security forces shooting directly at protesters in Hamadan and firing tear gas in Tehran and Malard.
  • Nighttime protests were held in several parts of Iran, from Qeshm Island in the south, to Zanjan and Hamadan in the north.
  • Tehran shopkeepers vowed to continue their strikes and protests on Tuesday. Shahid Beheshti University students also announced plans for a protest gathering on Tuesday morning.
  • Protesters in several parts of Tehran province chanted 'death to the dictator' during nighttime demonstrations, videos obtained by Iran International show.
 
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Iranian protests expand beyond the economy as students demand freedom, end to regime rule​

Some protestors chanted "death to Islamic Republic" as they took to the streets.

University students in different cities in Iran joined protests against the regime Tuesday by chanting slogans that included “student, be the voice of your people,” and “death to Islamic Republic.”

The protests began Sunday in downtown Tehran as the Iranian currency hit a new low, but they have since expanded in size and scope, moving beyond the narrower cause of the economy to "freedom and equality" and an end to the regime, evident in the slogans protesters are chanting.

Reports from across the country indicate that shop owners in other cities, including the western city of Hamedan and the southern island of Qeshm, have also joined the protests by closing their stores. Slogans such as “death to the dictator” and “Seyyed Ali (Khamenei) will be toppled this year,” referring to Iran's supreme leader, were heard in Qeshm and Zanjan, according to reports.

Students at Khajeh Nasir University of Tehran shouted slogans including “No to scarf, no to suppression. Freedom and equality,” targeting the regime’s suppression of personal and political freedom over the last decades.
 
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ThatRobGuy

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durangodawood said:
I wonder if theres any alternatives to the current regime brewing? Like what could viably replace them.
Click to expand...
en.wikipedia.org

Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

"Your presence in the streets across Iran has kindled the flame of a national revolution," the royal wrote in a message shared on X/Twitter. "The continuation and expansion of your presence, and taking control of the streets, is today our foremost, vital priority.

Protest gatherings were also held in the city of Hamadan on Tuesday night, with some protesters chanting pro-monarchy slogans like "Long Live the King" and "Reza Shah may God bless your soul"

(that was also the same slogan that popped up in a lot of protests in Iran during 2018 as well)

So I think Reza, being popular with the older crowd that remembers what it used to be like when his family was in charge, and gaining new popularity among some younger Iranians for his position on secularism, makes him the most logical choice.


So I know a lot of people over here on the progressive wing may not find that option palatable due to the history and perceptions about "past sins of colonialism", but even some of the people who participated in the protests and revolution that ousted the Shah now regret their decision some 40 years later. A piece by Nobel Peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi called "I thought the Iranian Revolution would bring freedom. I was wrong." is pretty eye-opening.

A secular government (even if in the form of a Monarchist one) is far better than what they have now.


I've touched on this in other threads pertaining to Iran.

Ousting a secular monarchy in favor of an Islamist government was a huge mistake.

History has shown that secular monarchies can (and often do) have the potential to convert into republics and democracies (the world is full of former monarchist countries that are now free societies). And the current Pahlavi (and his father) both seem/seemed to be receptive to that idea for whatever that's worth. Before the exile, his father (amid declining health) had even appointed a liberal democracy advocate (Shahpour Bakhtiar) to take over as prime minister and run day-to-day operations.

Whereas, are there any example of Islamic theocracies that have ever willingly morphed into democracies (absent outside force)?
 
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durangodawood

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ThatRobGuy said:
....Ousting a secular monarchy in favor of an Islamist government was a huge mistake.

History has shown that secular monarchies can (and often do) have the potential to convert into republics and democracies (the world is full of former monarchist countries that are now free societies). And the current Pahlavi (and his father) both seem/seemed to be receptive to that idea for whatever that's worth. Before the exile, his father (amid declining health) had even appointed a liberal democracy advocate (Shahpour Bakhtiar) to take over as prime minister and run day-to-day operations.

Whereas, are there any example of Islamic theocracies that have ever willingly morphed into democracies (absent outside force)?
Click to expand...
For sure the Islamic revolution was a step backward. I could see a monarchy being better than a theocracy - possibly. But thats a backhanded compliment, really.

One determining factor would be legitimacy. Is the new monarch imposed by outside forces? Do foreign interests engineer the transition - as they did with the previous monarch?
 
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ThatRobGuy

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durangodawood said:
For sure the Islamic revolution was a step backward. I could see a monarchy being better than a theocracy - possibly. But thats a backhanded compliment, really.

One determining factor would be legitimacy. Is the new monarch imposed by outside forces? Do foreign interests engineer the transition - as they did with the previous monarch?
Click to expand...
In this instance, given that the protestors on the streets are chanting "Reza Shah, bless your soul", it sounds like there's some legitimate popular support.

And the current crown prince is even more progressive than his father was on those kinds of matters. So I don't think it would be seen as a "western installation of a puppet" the way it was when his father was helped into power by western interests.

I think the advantage that exists now is that the younger people over there (and some of the older people who were around during the time of his father) have had more access to information on the internet about how things really went down (despite Iran's censorship efforts, over 80% of people under 30 over there access the internet via VPNs and ToR regularly)

And they hopefully realized that western partnership and investments weren't the boogeyman the Islamic Revolutionaries originally claimed they were.

While the common talking points were that the US and Brits were taking a cut (which they were), that it somehow indicated a purely exploitative relationship, and "that's why the Shah is a western puppet"

However, when you look at the revenues that Iran made internally during his tenure:
During 1956-60 alone, government oil revenues reached $1.23 billion—compared to just $483 million during the entire 36 years between 1913 and 1949

Which made sense, US and Britain invested in technological advancements that allowed for more efficient extraction, processing, and shipping of oil.

Sort of one of those
"Do you want to keep trying to do everything on your own and keep 100% of $30 million"
or
"Do you want to allow these other entities to invest in your infrastructure and help you connect with a new customer base and get to keep 40% of $500 million"

And it was those larger revenues that funded the Shah's initiatives for the school, library, and hospital infrastructure expansion boom that happened during his tenure.
 
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durangodawood said:
I wonder if theres any alternatives to the current regime brewing? Like what could viably replace them.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately their warmed over idea is an exiled monarch who was overthrown nearly 50 years ago.

Come on people! All you need to do is remove "Islamic" from your republic.
 
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durangodawood

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ThatRobGuy said:
In this instance, given that the protestors on the streets are chanting "Reza Shah, bless your soul", it sounds like there's some legitimate popular support.

And the current crown prince is even more progressive than his father was on those kinds of matters. So I don't think it would be seen as a "western installation of a puppet" the way it was when his father was helped into power by western interests.

I think the advantage that exists now is that the younger people over there (and some of the older people who were around during the time of his father) have had more access to information on the internet about how things really went down (despite Iran's censorship efforts, over 80% of people under 30 over there access the internet via VPNs and ToR regularly)

And they hopefully realized that western partnership and investments weren't the boogeyman the Islamic Revolutionaries originally claimed they were.

While the common talking points were that the US and Brits were taking a cut (which they were), that it somehow indicated a purely exploitative relationship, and "that's why the Shah is a western puppet"

However, when you look at the revenues that Iran made internally during his tenure:
During 1956-60 alone, government oil revenues reached $1.23 billion—compared to just $483 million during the entire 36 years between 1913 and 1949

Which made sense, US and Britain invested in technological advancements that allowed for more efficient extraction, processing, and shipping of oil.

Sort of one of those
"Do you want to keep trying to do everything on your own and keep 100% of $30 million"
or
"Do you want to allow these other entities to invest in your infrastructure and help you connect with a new customer base and get to keep 40% of $500 million"

And it was those larger revenues that funded the Shah's initiatives for the school, library, and hospital infrastructure expansion boom that happened during his tenure.
Click to expand...
You make it sound like there wasnt retaliation by major consumers against Iranian oil, and production acceleration elsewhere to make up the difference. In other words, this wasnt desert nomads who need fancy people to come in and run the show - tho Im sure they still would have hired Bechtel and the like to engineer/build their major projects. And they were disinvited from any kind of free market.
 
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Bob Crowley

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They also have a major water crisis, with a possibility of zero hour for water supply in Tehran, which has a population of nearly 10 million people.

There has even been discussion of evacuations but not much detail about where the people would go.

Instead of looking after their own people first, the ruling regime has devoted an absurd portion of their resources on the military and their "Islamic revolution".

The chickens are coming home to roost.
 
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Iran security force member killed during protests, officials say​

A member of Iran's security forces was killed during a fourth day of protests in the country, which have been sparked by a currency collapse, officials have said.

Footage verified by BBC Persian appears to show security forces firing at protesters in the city on the same day.

The semi-official Fars news agency reported that a 21-year-old member of the Basij - a paramilitary force linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) - was killed during a confrontation in the city of Kouhdasht. Thirteen police officers and Basij members had been injured by stone throwing, the report said.

Twenty protesters were arrested in the city on Thursday night, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency said.

Unrest broke out in other cities too.

Across the country, schools, universities and public institutions were closed because of the last-minute public holiday announced by the Iranian government.

It was ostensibly to save energy because of the cold weather, though it was seen by many Iranians as an attempt to contain the protests.
 
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