(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. And now, the Iranian state faces another major challenge: protests sparked by traders’ strike over hyperinflation and the falling currency have spread nationwide and turned violent. It is difficult to independently verify the figures as most reports are filed from outside Iran. Europe reimposed snapback sanctions late last year accusing Iran of violating the 2015 nuclear deal, which Mr. Trump had abandoned in 2018. Then Mr. Trump said, after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the U.S. was “locked and loaded” to respond if Iran killed protesters.

Source: The Hindu January 13, 2026 15:57 UTC