DO THE PROTESTS IN IRAN HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ABOUT REGIME CHANGE? / A WORLD RUN ON ‘POWER’ AND THE RACE FOR DOMINANCE BETWEEN THE US, CHINA AND RUSSIA / WHO IS INCLUDED IN TRUMP’S GAZA ‘PEACE BOARD’? / THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION AND THE STORY OF TWO TURBULENT WEEKS: AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI’S SECRET TIES TO THE US AND THE ‘PROMISES’ / THE TWO WEEKS OF JANUARY: KHOMEINI’S SECRET MESSAGE TO AMERICA

DO THE PROTESTS IN IRAN HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ABOUT REGIME CHANGE?

The protests that began in the electronics stores of Tehran’s bazaars on December 28 last year turned violent and quickly spread throughout the country.

So far, more than 2,000 people, including security forces personnel, have been killed and tens of thousands have been arrested as a result of these demonstrations and the latest wave of protests.

The international community is also pressuring Iran to refrain from a harsh crackdown on the protesters.

This week’s Serebien attempts to find out why these protests are happening in Iran at this time? And do these demonstrations have the potential to bring about regime change in Iran?

A WORLD RUN ON ‘POWER’ AND THE RACE FOR DOMINANCE BETWEEN THE US, CHINA AND RUSSIA

After US forces captured the ousted Venezuelan President Maduro in Caracas, US President Donald Trump declared that ‘no one will question American supremacy in the Western Hemisphere from today.’

And as Donald Trump asserts Washington’s power, Russia and China are also continuing their efforts to expand their sphere of influence.

Many analysts believe that these three countries are trying to bring about a new global order that will have a profound impact on Europe and other world powers.

In this article, we will try to see how the US, China and Russia are using military, economic and political means to increase their influence not only on their neighbors but also on countries far beyond their borders.

WHO IS INCLUDED IN TRUMP’S GAZA ‘PEACE BOARD’?

The White House has released the names of the members of President Donald Trump's administration's 'Board of Peace'.

The US president will head the board and this board will oversee the work of Palestinian technocrats tasked with rebuilding Gaza and temporarily taking over its administration.

According to the White House, each member of the 'Board of Peace' will be responsible for a portfolio that is 'critical to the stability of Gaza'. However, it is not yet clear which member of the board will be assigned what responsibility.

Who is on this board?

SIR TONY BLAIR

The name of the former British Prime Minister has long been circulating as a possible member of President Trump's 'Board of Peace' and last year the US president himself confirmed that Tony Blair had expressed interest in joining the board.

The former Labour Party leader was Prime Minister of Britain from 1997 to 2007 and led Britain into the Iraq War in 2003. That is why some may find his inclusion on President Trump’s board controversial.

After leaving office as Prime Minister, he served as Middle East envoy to the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia from 2007 to 2015.

Sir Tony Blair is the only non-US citizen on the ‘Board of Peace’.

THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION AND THE STORY OF TWO TURBULENT WEEKS: AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI’S SECRET TIES TO THE US AND THE ‘PROMISES’

Exactly 47 years ago today (January 16, 1979), Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran left Iran after months of violent protests against his regime. The Shah of Iran and his wife, Queen Farah, left Tehran for Aswan, Egypt.

The royal couple had moved their three young children to the United States the day before (January 15).

Official statements before the Shah of Iran’s departure claimed that Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had left the country for ‘vacation’ and medical treatment, but it later emerged that he had been ordered to leave Iran by his appointed prime minister in early January 1979.

By mid-January 1979, opposition to the Shah of Iran had developed into a unified movement led by Iran’s greatest religious leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Against this backdrop, the last two weeks of January 1979 were extremely dramatic, with the situation changing rapidly with every passing moment.

The BBC World Service published a special report on the last two weeks of January in June 2016, based on secret documents declassified over the years, which is presented below.

THE TWO WEEKS OF JANUARY: KHOMEINI’S SECRET MESSAGE TO AMERICA

On January 27, 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the driving force behind the revolution in Iran and who called the United States the ‘Great Satan’, sent a secret message to Washington.

This was at a time when Khomeini was living in exile in the suburbs of Paris. While in exile, Khomeini made a practical offer to the Carter administration of the United States: "The Iranian military leaders listen to you, but the Iranian people obey my orders."