Not for the first time, and planned or not, Donald Trump has his enemies guessing. Around six weeks ago, during the widespread protests in Iran, he warned the country’s leadership that the US was “locked and loaded” – ready to act if the violent crackdown on the demonstrations continued. His words may have restrained the regime from carrying out mass executions of political prisoners, but they had no more effect than that, and nothing happened. The promised “help” for the people of Iran never materialised.
So Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains the supreme leader; the Revolutionary Guards are still loyal, as far as can be judged; and the secret police are as insidious and brutal as ever. This week, two British tourists detained by the regime in January have been sentenced to 10 years in jail.
