Mike Baker

It's kind of their standard playbook, and it's often used to justify crackdowns by the IRGC and various internal security elements.

But the underlying reality hasn't changed.

These protests weren't sparked by Washington.

They were sparked by a frustrated population increasingly fed up with a regime that spends billions on weapons programs and terrorist proxies while ignoring the basic needs of its citizens.

If inflation destroys your savings, fuel and food costs keep rising, and there's no water when you turn the tap on, well, it might seem like taking to the streets is your next best option.

The key question now is what comes next.

If the regime tightens its grip, deploying more force, making mass arrests, or cutting off communications, it may temporarily suppress the demonstrations, but it also risks igniting something larger, something more difficult to contain.

And if the death toll rises, the pressure on foreign governments to respond will only grow.

We'll be watching for several things in the days ahead, whether protests spread to additional cities, whether security forces escalate further, and whether Tehran signals any willingness to negotiate.

Iran has been here before.

The difference now is just how fragile the moment appears.

It feels different, and how little room the regime has left to maneuver.

All right, coming up next, a surprising link between Oklahoma's cannabis industry, organized networks in New York, and Chinese-connected money flowing through the heartland.

I know, it's a strange game of connect the dots.

I'll be right back.

Hey, Mike Baker here.

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