France, Eager to Fill a Vacuum

"We've seen deliberate, gradual US disengagement [in the Middle East]."
"When the mining of ships went unanswered, a [U.S.] drone got shot. When that in turn went unanswered, major oil facilities were bombed [in Saudi Arabia]. This is dangerous even for those who think they gain – because bold is never far from daring, and daring never far from reckless."
"The edifice has started shaking and opportunists rush in/"
"[The signs in the region] hint at the severe weakening of an order based on cooperation; that mix of US presence, norms, a degree of multilateralism, some stability of governance and a great deal of deterrence."
"I have sent a robust package of advance warning, including sophisticated radar and tens of operators to deter drone and cruise missile attacks."
French Defense Minister Florence Parly

During the Green Revolution when Iranians finally got fed up with their theocratic government ordering every facet of their lives, demeaning their human rights, oppressing the population, discriminating against minorities, imprisoning dissenters, forcing women to cover themselves, resurrecting capital punishment to a degree reflective of the medieval era, supporting and arming terrorist groups to mount atrocities in the region and abroad, the outside world looked in with fascination while the major Western influencer and dominant authority in the U.S. did nothing to support Iranians.

Now another, larger, more widespread series of protests has been taking place in the Islamic Republic with hundreds of thousands of people mustering the courage to confront their brutally oppressive government, demanding the ouster of the Ayatollahs, a stop to interference in neighbouring countries like Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, and relief for impoverished Iranians whom reimposed sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program, have increased economic hardships for -- an already-hard-pressed population.

The government's response to the protests has been much the same as their Syrian puppet Bashar al-Assad's was, though they have not yet employed barrel bombs and chemical weapons in hopes of disrupting the protests. They have in the process of damping down dissent, seen to the deaths of several hundred Iranians, and have wounded thousands in the government's response. Thousands of Iranians have been arrested. Although news has been hard to come by in the wake of a complete Internet shut-down by the government, credible claims of torture and murder have arisen.

According to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the past two weeks of violence represents the work of a "very dangerous conspiracy". Originally caused by an increase in fuel prices for Iranians reflecting the dire state of the nation's finances (which could be addressed by no longer funding terror and by Iranian government elites restoring to state treasury the funds they have spirited into their own Swiss bank accounts), Khamenei has announced that the rioting has been quelled. Strangely enough, they have continued....

Mobile Internet was restored in Tehran and a number of other areas in mid-week. Eight people whom Iran's Intelligence Ministry has linked to the American Central Intelligence Agency were arrested during the protests. "These elements had received CIA-funded training in various countries under the cover of becoming citizen-journalists", claimed state news agency IRNA, quoting the ministry. If true, which is doubtful, that describes precisely the Republic's modus operandi; funding, training, inspiring terrorism abroad.

Concurrently with and pre-dating the Iranian protests were similar protests taking place in Iraq and Lebanon, where people there have demanded their governments disassociate themselves with Iran, and stop permitting the Republic the large and commanding voice it has in their internal affairs. That would be quite the trick in Lebanon where Iran's proxy Hezbollah militias have fully infiltrated the Lebanese government, taking their orders from Iran.

President Rouhani blamed the protests on "subversive elements" backed by foreign enemies  Reuters

Tehran has made it abundantly clear that "thugs" (ordinary Iranians protesting their leaders) with links to regime opponents in exile in lock-step with the  United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia are the devils in residence, supporting and inciting the villains rioting in the streets of Iranian cities. "A deep, vast and very dangerous conspiracy that a lot of money had been spent on ... was destroyed by the people", stated Khamenei.

The paramilitary Basij force, a civilian volunteer offshoot of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, aiding in the crackdown on protests did their work well, beating and flogging protesters whom the Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli claimed destroyed 731 banks, 70 gas stations and 140 government sites by putting them to the torch. Over 50 security forces bases were 'attacked'. But the situation is now well in hand, assured Iranian authorities.

A tear and a thought for the Iranian people whose courage in the face of a government intent on enslaving them to their vision of fundamentalist, venomous Islam has not yet succeeded in delivering them from their cruel dilemma.

I recommend [foreign countries] look at the marches ... to see who the real people in Iran are': Foreign Ministry spokesman