Iran's Government Squeezed by Protests at Home, U.S. Pressure Abroad

Iran faces growing unrest as protests spread from major cities into rural areas. The demonstrations are fueled by cuts to government subsidies, which have pushed many to the brink of hunger. While officials try to calm the public, members of the Basij—a volunteer militia loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—have attacked protesters. The internal crisis is now paired with an external military threat. The United States has explicitly raised the possibility of armed intervention against Iran. The combined pressures present a severe challenge to the Islamic Republic's leadership.