By Ever since Trump has taken the office, he’s been pulling every string possible to put Iran under as much pressure as he can to get what he wants. The sanctions and threats have been increasing nonstop, growing tighter and tighter around the people in Iran.
What has the result been? The government of Iran has not been giving in to what Trump wants. The population’s living conditions have been worsening. And now? Iran has forced the biggest Internet shutdown in the country.
On Friday, the Iranian government announced that they are raising gas prices by an astounding 300 percent. The majority of people in the country can’t even pay for their basic needs, and their way of transportation is essential for them to continue making money for their families to survive. Having that cost rise so dramatically overnight is a huge step back for them.
So obviously, protests struck.
And as per usual, the corrupt Iranian government and their scared leader, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sent military forces after the protestors, and as a result there have been a number of deaths reported.
If this all seems overwhelming and confusing, let me do a quick run down of Iran’s situation right now: Iran is the second biggest country in the Middle East, with lots and lots of natural resources, especially oil. The West has always been after the natural resources of Iran, but Iran has never let anyone take advantage.
About thirty years ago, the West stuck its nose in Iran’s internal affairs and fanned the flames of a revolution which was presented as a religious revolution that people wanted, in order to oust an overindulgent shah. The matter of fact was that Iranians were lied to and manipulated, which they came to realize after it was too late.
Thirty years later, people are still suffering from the new government because it is corrupt, and has been making life harder and harder everyday for Iranians. One thing that has been kept the same is Iran not letting the West take control of their own oil, whilst keeping up the country’s defense militias. The opposite would’ve put Iran in a much worse situation, much sooner. And yet, even so, suffering was inevitable for the Iranian people as their government raises living costs beyond what is manageable.
Fast-forward to today, the sanctions on Iran are at their peak, the population’s lives are at their lowest, the cost of living is way too high, and people are getting hurt for protesting for the right to live equitable lives.
Iranians have connected and contributed to 21st Century advancements, pop culture, and diversity in the newer generation on their own. Due to sanctions, Iran cannot import or export much, so most of the technologies and developments are from Iranians themselves. Iran has come so far despite all the chains holding it back; chains from the West and the Iranian government itself, stealing the money that belongs to the people, and taking away the opportunities that Iranians deserve.
Fast-forward to today, the sanctions on Iran are at their peak, the population’s lives are at their lowest, the cost of living is way too high, and people are getting hurt for protesting for the right to live equitable lives. Meanwhile, the US is pretending to be a supporter, whilst it is their sanctions that brought this on in the first place, as the Iranian government continues to try everything it can to stay in power. The Iranian people, meanwhile, are caught between a rock and a hard place.