Iran: Parliamentary elections loom amid geopolitical tensions

Fuel protests: The government announced an unexpected cut in fuel subsidies overnight on 14/15 November, which sparked a wave of protests that swept across Iran, swiftly followed by a brutal crackdown by the authorities. The regime adopted a policy of maximum force to snuff out the threat, with an internet blackout to stem the ability of protestors to organise themselves. Many thousands were arrested and the death toll reached into three-figures. The authorities blamed the outbreak of discontent on malign ‘foreign influences’.