John Bolton: The Level of Dissatisfaction in Iran Is Really Pretty Incredible Since 2018 and 2019

EXCERPT:

BOLTON: "Look, the level of dissatisfaction across Iran is really pretty incredible on many different levels. Since 2018 and 2019, when there were riots over economic conditions that were brutally put down, the economy has not materially improved since then. The dissatisfaction is still there. Young people, something like 60% of the population, is under 30, know they could have a different way of life. They can see it across the Gulf in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and Doha. The ethnic groups, large ethnic groups, Azeris, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs comprising between 40 and 50% of the total population, depending on your estimates, don‘t like the ayatollahs. And two years ago, the Mahsa Amini murder by the authorities, young Kurdish woman who wasn‘t conforming to the religious dress codes, brought young people and women out all over the country against the regime, a fundamental challenge to the regime‘s legitimacy, not just to complain about having to wear the hijab, but saying the ayatollahs do not speak the word of God, which threatens the regime. All of that still exists. And now they see their terrorist proxies in ashes.”