Published date: 12 January 2026 22:32 GMT
Last update: Jan. 13 2026 12:00 EST

The protests gripping Iran are fuelled by immense economic pressures and frustration with the government, but with Iranians having felt Israel's wrath and also seen what the US did in Venezuela, their demands are not for foreign intervention, a slate of regional experts have said.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington DC on Monday, the experts said that whilst there may be some voices that are outliers, most Iranians were looking for the international community to help lift crippling US sanctions and begin a new path forward.