A wave of protests sparked by Iran's failing economy has continued for a ninth day, as President Donald Trump renewed his threat of US intervention. Videos published online on Monday showed demonstrations in the capital, Tehran, and the south-western city of Yasuj. Human rights activists have said protests have taken place in 26 of the country's 31 provinces since last week, and that at least 19 protesters and one member of the security forces have been killed. Trump warned on Sunday night that Iranian authorities would be "hit very hard" if more protesters died.

The New Year demonstrations in Iran came at the end of a year marked by war, economic strain, and political uncertainty. In 2025, Israel launched a 12-day attack on Iran, assassinating senior military leaders and targeting military and economic infrastructure. The assault was followed by US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.

What's known as the Arab Spring was initially set off by the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor protesting against harassment by local officials. Authoritarian regimes are typically strong, but they can often be surprisingly brittle too. Having no easy way to deal with discontent other than by repression, they can prove vulnerable if some event or circumstance finally acts as a trigger to persuade an unhappy population to turn on its rulers. And the greater the degree of control exerted by a regime, the greater the responsibility it will be seen to bear when things go wrong.

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