Iran is Preparing for War with its Own People

When a country is experiencing an economic catastrophe with its currency in free fall and its biggest geopolitical bargaining chip is diminishing in value daily, there are a few options it can choose from. Focusing on economic reform to ease the pain is one of them. Negotiating a deal with its adversaries is another.

Well, the Islamic Republic of Iran, or at least powerful factions within it, have gone instead for option number three. Just crush whoever complains. Since January's crackdown that killed tens of thousands of protesters in mere days, Tehran has rebuilt and expanded the machinery and institutions that carried it out.

As far as the hardliners are concerned, the crackdown proved that repression works. And that was a worrying lesson for them to learn. Because as the economic situation in war-shattered Iran continues to slide, the regime fears that its citizens might once again rise up.