The Global Gambit Iran’s Protests and the New Middle East Balance of Power
Jan 22, 2026
Trita Parsi, Quincy Institute executive vice president and Iran specialist, walks through Iran's political upheaval and regional fallout. He outlines the internet blackout and its effects. He contrasts recent protest waves and discusses water, sanctions, and leadership failure. He explains shifting Middle East alignments and why neighbors pushed to avoid military escalation.
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Impact Of The Internet Blackout
- The internet blackout made independent verification extremely difficult and temporarily obscured events.
- Trita Parsi explains that recent partial reopening revealed how much happened during the blackout and why information gaps matter.
Protests Were Largely Indigenous
- The protests began organically from economic collapse and long-standing grievances, not as a Mossad orchestration.
- Parsi notes external actors likely exploited the unrest but did not primarily cause it.
Radicalization Of Protest Demands
- The protest movement radicalized over decades from reformist demands to calls for revolution and even foreign intervention.
- Parsi ties this radicalization to repression, economic collapse, and deliberate sanctions pressure.