Lyse Doucet: In Tehran, rallies for Iran’s revolution overshadowed by discontent and defiance

BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet reports from Tehran, where official celebrations marking Iran’s revolution are being met with underlying currents of discontent and defiance. This marks the first visit to the Iranian capital by the BBC since the government employed significant force to quell protests in the preceding month. While public displays of support for the revolution are being organized, the atmosphere is reportedly tinged with a palpable sense of weariness and opposition among segments of the population. The government’s response to the recent demonstrations, characterized by a heavy-handed approach, appears to have amplified existing grievances rather than extinguished them. Doucet’s observations suggest that the official narrative of unwavering support for the revolution is being challenged by a more complex reality on the ground, where dissent and a desire for change are demonstrably present, despite the risks involved. The current climate in Tehran indicates a population grappling with economic hardships and a desire for greater freedoms, leading to a subdued but persistent undercurrent of defiance against the established order.