"This is not why they burn mosques": The real reason Iranians are taking to the streets
Dr. Tamar Elam Gindin, an expert on Iran, believes the Iranian public will return to the streets: "The protests in Iran are not about the economy—they are about human rights."
Assessment
A leading Iran expert argues that the Iranian protests are fundamentally about human rights, not economic hardship. This framing challenges common Western media narratives that attribute unrest to sanctions or inflation. The stake is whether this distinction shapes international response or policy toward Iran. The key development to watch is whether the protests sustain their rights-based character or shift focus.