Protest, violence and sovereignty: Iran draws its red lines

IRAN’S latest wave of unrest has reignited a familiar international debate: where does legitimate protest end and where do violence and foreign interference begin?

Tehran’s response, articulated over recent days, seeks to answer that question by framing the protests as a test not only of economic governance, but of sovereignty, law and social order.

The demonstrations that began on December 28 2025 were, by official accounts, rooted in bread-and-butter concerns.

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