Rumblings in Iran

Thousands of Iranians took to the streets recently in Tehran and other Iranian cities to show their dissatisfaction with the Iranian government's handling of the economy. 

To be sure, Iranian demonstrators have a multitude of complaints against the Iranian establishment over other issues as well, but for the time being, high unemployment and rising cost of living appear to be the main bones of contentions for the demonstrators. 

The underlying factors that led to the many days of widespread demonstrations though could be deeper and include the fatigue with theocratic regime in the country that came to power in April of 1979 when the Pahlavi dynasty under Shah Mohammad Reza was overthrown by the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini aided and abetted by a widespread populist movement.  

After so many decades of authoritarian rule though, it looks like the people of the country may have wanted a change of direction in their country. 

The adventurous policies of the ruling regime aiming to extend the hegemony of the Shiite order across the Middle East, most noticeably in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, led Tehran to deploy thousands and thousands of its military personnel including the so-called Revolutionary Guard militias across several fronts in the region. 

This was done at the expense of the national economy and other national priorities when huge amounts of money were diverted to prosecute regional objectives. 

What counts most, though, is the absence of a progressive democratisation policy that is able to faithfully reflect the mood of the country in modern times. 

The rumblings on the streets of Iranian cities can be expected to subside in the upcoming days when the message of the demonstrators is heard loud and clear by the authorities. 

A stable Iran is a regional concern that must not be allowed to get undermined, especially in these troubling times in the area.