Despite the presence of a large number of security forces, including police and intelligence personnel, IRGC, Bassij, plainclothed riot police and mercenaries on motorcycles, demonstrations and clashes have been reported from various parts of Tehran.
That doesn't sound like the protests are surging. Are they regrouping or finished?
Iran certainly claims the protests are done:
The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday that a string of anti-government protests were over after six days of unrest.
But one theme of protesters in Iran that could renew the protests is that they oppose the long war in Syria that is bleeding Iran of men and money better kept at home:
In demonstrations across Iran, chants are going up against the military's vast and shadowy war in Syria, one of Tehran's closest allies and a frontline state in its confrontation with its archenemy, Israel.
Although the protests have focused on economic issues, demonstrators have also voiced strong opposition to the government's policy of sending young Iranians to fight and die in Syria while spending billions of dollars on the military when they say the priority should be working to provide jobs in Iran and control the rising cost of living.
One Iranian source says close to a thousand Iranians have died fighting in Syria.
I didn't think that many Iranians had died in Syria, actually. I thought Iran was doing a better job of fighting to the last Arab, Afghan, and Pakistani Shia by ordering Hezbollah to bleed for Assad and recruiting the latter two groups for Iran's Shia foreign legion to die in Syria.
