2. Lots of unrest in Iran's Kurdish areas. About 10% of Iran's population are Kurds, around half of whom are Sunni not Shia. Kurds are culturally v close to Persians–better assimilated in Iran than Turkey or Iraq–but have felt economic neglect and repression for decades pic.twitter.com/qIYbP9bJkH

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

3. The regime brutally crushed a Kurdish rebellion after the revolution. Around 10k people were killed, including 1500 political prisoners. This is a haunting image of that period, 11 men convicted of being "counterrevolutionary" by Ayatollah Khomeini, death by firing squad pic.twitter.com/ywLr8z2Bwc

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

5. Incidentally, the photographer of this now iconic image–Jahangir Razmi–was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1980, but he was too fearful to claim credit for it until 2006. Here's a story about him: https://t.co/xXbR3tYT7N pic.twitter.com/mToMRg64xH

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

7. Khuzestan is also home to Iran's disenfranchised Arab minority population–around 2 million people–some of whom are Sunni. Further protests here which disrupt Iran's oil production are v worrisome to the regime. Oil strikes helped bring down the Shah https://t.co/TxhXwR9qHQ

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

8. So far, it's notable that none of the protest slogans among Iranian Kurds and Arabs have reflected ethnic separatist aspirations. This may change if the regime cracks down on them too violently as "US/Saudi/Zionist agents".

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

9. If Iran's territorial integrity appears in question–we're v far from that now–these protests could start to lose popular support even from regime opponents. The Islamic Republic may try play this nationalism card, i.e. "Accept us, or risk Iran's territorial unraveling"

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

10. The Iranian government faces some difficult choices. Quelling large crowds in Tehran may actually be easier than putting out dozens of smaller fires in distant provinces, especially when their forces/resources have already stretched bc of battles in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, etc.

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

The map is correct. Much of the uprising is centered around Arab and Kurdish inhabited areas in western Iran- e.g. Izeh, Kermanshah, Sanandaj etc.

— Alireza Nader علیرضا نادر (@AlirezaNader) January 3, 2018

The single most constructive way the US government can be helpful in #IranProtests is to inhibit Tehran's ability to black out information and control communication. They repress much easier in the dark. Meanwhile @jzarif uses @twitter to communicate freely with the world https://t.co/vgFhyS5ixM

— Karim Sadjadpour (@ksadjadpour) January 3, 2018

@ksadjadpour senior fellow at the Carnegie endowment for International Peace in Washington on Iran protests: "We have to be sceptical about what senior authorities say" pic.twitter.com/u8FLv4GPZf

— Yalda Hakim (@SkyYaldaHakim) January 3, 2018

Text messages to govt employees ordering participation in pro govt rally. #IranProtests #تظاهرات_سراسرى_ pic.twitter.com/J0hyluajBP

— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) January 3, 2018

#Iran former government spokesperson to regime:
What are these lies? Which enemy? These are our youth. They are fed up with being ignored, of unemployment, despair, poverty, lack of future & bias.
#IranProtests https://t.co/oprlNblZbw

— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) January 3, 2018

I took this photo in Tehran a year ago as the giant posters of the Ayatollah were being put up all across the city for Revolution day. Now I'm watching videos of those same posters be ripped downed and burned by some of the bravest people I have ever seen. #FreeIran #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/wGk5aMOhWA

— Annika H Rothstein (@truthandfiction) January 3, 2018

Iran's Tasnim "news agency" @Tasnimnews_EN affiliated with the repressive IRGC, is posting pictures of protesters and calling on followers to identify them. Some Iranians are calling on @twitter to take action. #Iranprotests (deleted previous tweet to remove pix of protesters)

— Golnaz Esfandiari (@GEsfandiari) January 3, 2018

URGENT NEWS: Massive protests start minutes ago in Vali Asr square in city centre of the capital #Tehran against – Day 7 #Iranprotests #FreeIran #Regimechange pic.twitter.com/lU2qsUmLUr

— Hossein Abedini (@HoAbedini) January 3, 2018

I had enough of cliches like “we should remain quiet on #IranProtests so as not give the regime excuses”
The naivety of such logic ignores how the Mullahs are masters of inventing excuses to oppress their own people and they will blame Israel and Saudi Arabia regardless! #Iran

— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) January 2, 2018

The Mullahs have wasted Iran’s wealth on Hezbollah, Assad, and many other Shia militias, while their own people are struggling to live a decent life.#IranProtests https://t.co/BNJo9sCzXE

— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) January 2, 2018

#AlJazeera covered protests in #Egypt even when less than hundred gathered in Cairo’s tiny allays. Now remarkably mute on #IranProtests

— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) December 31, 2017