Iran's rulers face legitimacy crisis as unrest spreads throughout country

Religious leaders' core ideologies do not resonate with half of population

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A protester holding up a placard during a gathering outside the Iranian Embassy in London on Jan 9. Many protesters in Iran are venting anger over Tehran's support for militants in the region, chanting slogans such as 'Not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran', signalling frustration at the establishment's priorities.

(PHOTO: AFP)

With Iran's anti-government unrest evolving rapidly and foreign pressure mounting, the clerical establishment appears unable, for now, to tackle what has become a crisis of legitimacy at the heart of the Islamic Republic.

The demonstrations, which began in the capital Tehran in December, have spread to all of Iran's 31 provinces but have yet to reach the scale of the 2022 to 2023 unrest sparked by the death of Ms Mahsa Amini while in detention for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes.

Starting in Tehran with shopkeepers in the Grand Bazaar angered by a sharp slide in the rial currency, the latest protests now involve others - mainly young men rather than the women and girls who played a key role at the Amini protests.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported at least 34 protesters and four security personnel have been killed and 2,200 arrested during the unrest, which analysts say highlights a deeper disillusionment with the Shi'ite status quo.

"The collapse is not just of the rial, but of trust," said Mr Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

The authorities have tried to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be met by dialogue, while meeting some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.