Iran Unrest: Trump and Netanyahu Signal Support for Protesters

Protests have continued in Iran for more than two weeks. They began with calls about the state of the economy, but soon shifted from demonstrations to violent calls to overthrow the existing system. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu support these protests.

Photo: Illustration

The pace and number of major events, especially those related to U.S. politics and economics, often leave the media little time for in-depth coverage. For example, at the end of last year and the start of this one, public attention quickly shifted from the Jeffrey Epstein case to the U.S. operation in Venezuela and Trump’s announcement that he might take similar actions toward Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, and Denmark (Greenland).

This is not the full list of important events involving Trump. Protests have continued across Iran for two weeks, and many advocates of U.S.-Israeli policy in the Middle East see them as “the end of the regime” in Tehran.

Besides Iran, Trump has dealt in the Middle East with Lebanon, specifically the disarmament of the Shiite, pro-Iranian Hezbollah, and talks involving Turkey and Syria. He also asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu in connection with his corruption trial.

Iran Protests

The peaceful protests in Iran, which began in late December, were sparked by economic conditions. Iran’s currency, the rial, is estimated to have lost about sixty percent of its value over the past year. Merchants in major cities led the protests.

The authorities said the protests were legitimate. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government would listen to the demonstrators’ demands and tasked ministers with negotiating to resolve the issues. Pezeshkian said the government intends to take “fundamental measures” in “monetary reform.”

It is still too early to predict the results of the announced reforms, because the main cause of Iran’s economic problems remains decades of sanctions and Western economic pressure meant to force Tehran to comply with Washington's and Tel Aviv's demands. The Israeli-American military attack on Iran in the middle of last year again shows the aim of that policy.

This economic pressure has slowed Iran’s growth for decades. A weakening currency fuels constant inflation, and some experts say these Western measures were designed to impoverish the middle class and turn it against the authorities.

But that is only part of the problem for Iran’s leadership. In recent weeks, Trump and Netanyahu have threatened Iran with new military strikes and have acknowledged interfering in Iran’s internal affairs. Netanyahu called on the Iranian people to rise up and told them Israel stands with them. The Mossad secret service wrote in Persian on its profile on the social network X: “Come out together into the streets. The time has come. We are with you. Not only from afar or with words. We are with you on the ground as well.”

A few days after the peaceful demonstrations began, the situation changed. Videos on social media show some protesters becoming violent and chanting “death” to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Some claim these are the biggest protests in Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.

Iran’s authorities responded with arrests. Media reports showed weapons and military equipment that they claim were found with some participants in the unrest. The authorities say some security personnel have been killed and are announcing more arrests.

Supporters of the authorities also took to the streets in greater numbers than those demanding the end of the Islamic Republic. The government is trying to portray the protests as the work of Israel and the United States, who want to subdue Iran or push it into a long war like those in Syria or Iraq.

Netanyahu and Trump Don’t Want to Miss the Opportunity

Most Western media frame the Iranian protests as a struggle by Iranians for democracy and freedom, something that would finally bring peace to the Middle East.

From Iran’s leadership’s perspective, the protests are an attempt by Washington and Tel Aviv to carry out a coup in the country, as has been done in other states, to break Iran as a power with influence beyond its borders and one that seeks an independent policy.

Netanyahu does not hide that this is his goal. He has repeatedly said he wants to bring down Iran’s current leadership as part of his plans for Israel to dominate the Middle East.

Netanyahu believes this is the right time to break Iran, especially after Bashar al-Assad was toppled in Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah was cut off from Tehran, Palestinian Hamas was almost destroyed, and Trump is providing him unconditional support from the White House.

A change of power in Tehran also fits official Washington’s plans. Securing an obedient government in Iran would, as in Venezuela, give Washington an opportunity to access Iranian oil and other resources. In the bigger picture, it would be a strong blow to China’s ambitions to withstand American pressure.

At this moment, there are no indications that Trump and Netanyahu are close to achieving that goal. Iran’s authorities are keeping things under control for now, and most Iranians are not with the demonstrators despite many problems. The main question is who will make the next move, whether the United States and Israel will attack Iran again, and what Tehran’s response would be.

The article was previously published on nap.ba.

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