Alex Vatanka is the founding Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute. He specializes in Middle Eastern regional security affairs with a particular focus on Iran. He was formerly a Senior Analyst at Jane’s Information Group in London. Alex is also a Senior Fellow in Middle East Studies at the US Air Force Special Operations School (USAFSOS) at Hurlburt Field and teaches as an Adjunct Professor at DISAS at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is once again embroiled in angry protests. All over the country, tens of thousands have been coming together to decry the killing of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian Morality Police as well as the state’s systemic repression of women. With the Iranian Revolutionary Guard employed domestically, against Iranian citizens, for the first time, the world is watching Tehran and its brutal response closely. After two weeks of protests, where do we stand?