Expert: Iran attacking its neighbors due to weakening of regime inside country

Due to the weakening of the regime in Tehran, Iran is attacking its neighbors - the Kurds of Iraq and is taking aggressive steps against Azerbaijan in order to divert the local population’s attention from internal problems, to convince them that the protests in the country are the result of the influence of external actors, Professor of US Naval Post Graduate School Brenda Shaffer told Report’s correspondent, who was sent to Zangilan and Jabrayil districts.

In fact, what is happening in the country has nothing to do with external actors. The protests taking place in Iran are not even headed by any leaders or organizations. It is obvious that this is coming from ordinary citizens of the country, she said.

According to her, the course of events demonstrates that people are tired of living under constant control and pressure from the state and want more freedom. In fact, this is 40 years of opposition, which now opposes Tehran, Shaffer said.

Continuing her thought, the expert noted that the violation of rights and freedoms in Iran and the brutal suppression of protests and the foreign policy of the Iranian regime, which supports Russia in the war against Ukraine, lead to an increase in awareness of the imposition of new sanctions against Iran by the EU and the United States.

Sanctions will concern the export of Iranian weapons to Russia to wage a war with Ukraine, as well as against the government because of human rights violations in the country, the professor said.

Brenda Shaffer drew a parallel between what is happening in Iran with the fall of the USSR.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the Soviet Union, in an effort to retain power and preserve a collapsing country, committed such cruel deeds as Black January in Baku, she added. It looks that Iran will share its fate, she said.