As the anniversary of events leading up to the fall of Iran’s monarchy in 1979 starts, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has tweeted a message in Persian saying, “40 years of failure – It didn’t need to be this way”.
This year, the 40th anniversary of the revolution comes at a bad time for the Islamic Republic, as it faces a serious economic crisis and a restless population.
Usually, such anniversaries are occasions when Iran’s leaders boast of accomplishment and emphasize why the revolution 40 years ago was a good turning point for the people. But this year, it is difficult for them to do that as they are besieged by problem.
Pompeo says in his tweet, “Even your president, Hassan Rouhani, admits” failure, possibly referring to a speech Rouhani delivered two days ago saying Iran faces the worst economic situation in 40 years. He add that the "ruling regime has prioritized ideology" over the interests of the people.
President Donald Trump's has adopted administration has adopted a tough approach toward the Islamic Republic and is active in messaging the people of Iran directly.
During mass protests since the closing days of 2017, many Iranians have become very vocal in rejecting the Islamic Republic and its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.