Iran's clerical regime in a corner

Nationwide protests about women's rights and a litany of social and economic grievances rocked the Islamic Republic in 2022. Meanwhile, Iran's nuclear capabilities appear to be increasing, it is supplying weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine and the regime's leaders show no signs of willingness to nurture diplomatic channels to the West. "For the last decade, Iran has been politically and economically stagnant," said Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, a dual American-Iranian who runs Bourse & Bazaar, a think tank focused on Iran's economy. "The country's future is less predictable than it has been in a long time, and this poses a challenge for Western policymakers worried about the threats an increasingly unstable Iran might pose."

'Woman, life, liberty': Iranians on why they'll risk beatings and death for change

How the world is protesting Iran over Mahsa Amini's death and women's rights