Anti-government Demonstrations in Iran

Drudge Report links to a Reuters story about street demonstrations spreading in Iran.

Demonstrators chanted anti-government slogans in several cities across Iran on Friday, Iranian news agencies and social media reports said, as price protests turned into the largest wave of demonstrations since nationwide pro-reform unrest in 2009.

The outbreak of unrest reflects growing discontent over rising prices and alleged corruption, as well as concern about the Islamic Republic’s costly involvement in regional conflicts such as those in Syria and Iraq.

While this is good news, it is premature to get our hopes up. Autocratic regimes are normally able to suppress such expressions of discontent - think Tiananmen Square. However regimes dealing with internal unrest may have less energy to invest in troublemaking beyond their borders.