Will the Protests in Iran Bring Down the Regime?

The demonstrations in Iran have now entered a third week. How worried are the Iranian authorities? How is this wave of protests different from those in the past? And what needs to happen for the demonstrations to become a revolution and overthrow the regime? In this week’s “Middle East News Hour,” I discussed these issues with Ahmad Obali, founder and director of Gunaz TV, a U.S.-based Azerbaijani satellite television channel that broadcasts into Iran, Europe and the Middle East. An ethnic Azerbaijani, Obali is originally from northern Iran, one of the hubs of the current protests. He fled Iran as a young man after the regime arrested him. According to Obali, it is important that the West express its support for the demonstrators. “Moral support and giving people the opportunity to express their voice is the best thing that Western governments can do,” he said. Guaranteeing access to the internet is also crucial, he added.