As Protests Continue in Iran, Police are Ordered to Show ‘Restraint’

Iran’s leadership has ordered police in Tehran to show “restraint” amid renewed civil unrest prompted by fury over last week’s downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iranian officials initially blamed the crash on a mechanical failure but later conceded that the airliner was shot down by a missile just hours after the IRGC had launched an attack on two Iraqi military bases housing US soldiers. The aviation disaster, which occurred early last Wednesday and killed 176 passengers and crew, sparked an international outcry and drew hundreds of people out into the streets of Tehran, with some chanting slogans such as “Shame on you [Supreme Leader Ali] Khamenei” and “Death to the liars.” While thus far smaller in numbers and scope, the ongoing protests come on the heels of anti-government demonstrations that erupted in November in more than 100 Iranian cities over a surprise hike in gasoline prices. Security forces responded with a brutal crackdown that is estimated to have killed as many as 1,500 people, if not more. Now, the mullahs seem to be more on the defensive, perhaps not wanting to risk further backlash from global capitals at a time of heightened tensions with the Trump Administration, and while attempting to curry favor with their European, Russian and Chinese allies with a view to offsetting the effects of US economic sanctions. Moreover, in an apparent effort to placate demonstrators, Iran announced on Tuesday that arrests had been made over the shootdown of the plane. For his part, President Hassan Rouhani has called for the creation of a special court to probe the incident.