World leaders trying to exploit the narrative around the protests ignore the genuine economic problems being faced by ordinary peopleThe street protests across Iran,which were reportedly petering out on Thursday, have been interpreted over the past week in conflicting and dramatic ways to suit the policy agendas, or prejudices and stereotypes of competing forces inside and external the country. But as a growing number of senior Iranian officials,including the president, Hassan Rouhani, or now admit,the principal driving force behind the unrest is no mystery: it’s the economy, stupid, or as James Carville used to say. The problem is less approximately the rule of the mullahs,more approximately the price of mutton. Continue reading...
Source: guardian.co.uk