In a significant development, President-elect Donald Trump's impending return to his stringent policy against Iran, coupled with the nation's ongoing gas crisis, could potentially destabilize the world's leading state-sponsor of terrorism, suggests a renowned expert.
As reported by Fox News, Lisa Daftari, an Iran specialist and editor-in-chief of The Foreign Desk, elucidated on the matter. "This gas shortage inside Iran is highly significant and exposes the regimes growing vulnerabilities across multiple fronts. From the defeats of Hezbollah and Hamas in their conflicts with Israel, to the losses of the Houthis in Yemen and the collapse of the Syrian regime under Assad, we see a consistent erosion of the regime's influence," she stated.
Daftari further highlighted the economic instability in Iran, stating, "Add to this the plummeting Rial and the staggering mismanagement of resources despite the loosening of sanctions and billions handed over through lopsided deals under Biden's watchit's no surprise the regime is under immense pressure." She also suggested that with Trump's probable return to a policy of maximum pressure, the Iranian populace might find themselves in a situation conducive to demanding regime change.
The Iranian leadership is currently grappling with widespread blackouts and severe gas shortages, triggering fears of social and political upheaval. The regime, known for its violent suppression of dissent, has been shaken by nationwide protests over fuel prices and the brutal repression of women for not adhering to the compulsory hijab in 2019 and 2022.
Fox News Digital reported in 2019 that the Iranian regime had killed at least 106 people protesting against a fuel price hike. In 2022, the regime's notorious morality police killed a young woman, Masha Amini, for not adequately covering her hair. These protests eventually evolved into nationwide calls for the dissolution of the Islamic Republic.
According to Iran International, a London-based news organization, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of Irans judiciary, issued a directive to prevent unrest due to power and gas outages. He reportedly stated, "The Attorney General and prosecutors across the country, in direct cooperation with the intelligence, security, and law enforcement agencies, should take all appropriate measures and arrangements to stabilize and strengthen the security of the people and citizens, and, as in the past, and even with greater firmness, take the relevant measures so that the enemy's conspiracy to create insecurityis neutralized."
Despite Iran's abundant natural gas and oil reserves, years of underinvestment, economic mismanagement, corruption, and sanctions have left the energy sector ill-equipped for seasonal surges. Iran has also funneled substantial funds into its terrorist proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Matthew Levitt, a counter-terrorism expert for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, estimates that Iran channels approximately $700 million to $1 billion a year to Hezbollah and Hamas secures $100 million a year.
On December 18, the Iranian rial plummeted to its lowest level in history, losing more than 10% of its value since Trump's presidential election victory in November. This signals new challenges for Tehran as it remains embroiled in wars across the Middle East. Iran's Central Bank has previously attempted to stabilize the rate by flooding the market with more hard currencies.
The currency's plunge coincided with Iran's decision to close schools, universities, and government offices due to a worsening energy crisis exacerbated by harsh winter conditions. This crisis, following a summer of blackouts, is now compounded by severe cold, snow, and air pollution.
Login