Closely following the third assassination of a senior Iranian official in two months, Tehran is suddenly burning. The long smoldering tension between citizens and tyrannical mullahs shows no signs of abating, with the latest development being riots over gasoline-rationing [HT: Insty]:
Following the rationing of gasoline in Iran, many people waited in lines to fill their tanks before the price hike until the last hours of Wednesday, June, 26, 07 in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The rationing caused angry mobs to attack the gas stations and set them on fire.
BBC and Reuters initially reported that at least one Tehran gas station is burning in protest. But Pajamas Media has learned the number is more like fifteen.
[...]
According to [left-wing Iranian website] SJK, more than 15 gas stations were set on fire in the early hours of morning. People have also attacked one city hall building in Tehran
The areas include Sohrevardi, Azadi Square (Shahyad), Pirouzi, Tajrish, Vali-Asr, Tehra-No, Shariaty, Imam Hossein (Fouzieh) Square and some other Tehran neighborhoods.
Demonstrations have leaped to other Iranian cities like Karaj, Mashad, Tabriz, Bandar-Abbas, Ardabil and Kermanshah.
Cries of “Death to Ahmadinejad” were heard.
Meanwhile, Anti-Mullah reports that the northwestern city of Sanandaj has been overrun (please digest with large grain of salt):
While Islamic government forces of Iran fired shots into protesters in Kermanshah, reports indicate that the populace of Sanandaj, a largely Kurdish city, have taken over control of the township and are now in charge.
Other cities throughout the nation are experiencing unrest and protest against the Mullahs.
Stepped up suppression and arrests over the past few weeks of any dissenting voices – students, teachers or workers show that
the regime has been expecting trouble and tried to head it off.
Whether something comes of this or extended bloodshed by Ahmadi-Nejad and his Revolutionary Guards snuffs out the sudden opposition still remains to be seen.
Gateway Pundit has much, much more, including this:
UPDATE 2: The Regime in Iran says the rationing will continue despite the violence and blamed the rioting on the US!
There is video available at both PJM and Gateway Pundit.
How will this all shake out? Your guess is as good as mine. In the very least the unrest may dampen Iran’s ability to cause more trouble in Iraq for the time being. But I am skeptical of these riots turning into anything bigger. Hopeful, but doubtful. It seems to me that a large co-ordinated effort will be necessary to overthrow the mullah-cracy and these sorts of riots (and their catalysts) just don’t provide any organizing principle. Without something akin the motivation underlying the Islamic Revolution of 1979, it’s hard to see how the recent unrest will change anything. There are already a lot of Iranian citizens who are unenamored with the government, and if they haven’t revolted by now I don’t see why gasoline rationing will tip the balance.
MORE: Alex Tabbarok focuses on why Iran, one of the largest oil producers in the world, is having to ration gasoline.
[tags] Iran, riots, mullahs, Ahmadinejad, Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iraq War, burning gas stations [/tags]