Mahsa Amini’s brutal death may be moment of reckoning for Iran

An Istanbul march in solidarity with women in Iran after Mahsa Amini’s death. Iranian leaders are up against a formidable expatriate network as well as homegrown activists. Photograph: Murad Sezer/Reuters

Mahsa Amini’s death in custody is fast becoming another moment of reckoning for the Iranian regime that fears a popular revolt more than it fears staring down the rest of the world.

Four days after Amini died in a Tehran hospital, protests in the Iranian capital show little sign of slowing. Most protests appear peaceful, but some in Kurdish areas of Iran have turned violent.